1 


Mm 


•mm-. 


BR  325  .N8  1906 

Nuelsen,  John  Louis,  1867- 

Luther,  the  leader 


W^tn  flf  tht  liingrigm 


Luther:    The    Leader 


John    Louis  Nuelsen, 

Professor  of  Exegesis  in  the  Nast  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  Berea,  O. 


CINCINNATI:     JENNINGS    AND    GRAHAM 
NEW  YORK:     EATON     AND     MAINS 


COPYRIGHT,     igo6,     BV 
JENNINGS  AND  GRAHAM 


€it  (Pg  Wi 


FOREWORD 
>^ 

In  preparing  this  brief  and  popular  life  of  Mar- 
tin Luther  I  encountered  two  chief  difficulties.    The 

« 

first  was  to  select  and  condense  the  material.  It 
would  have  been  easier  to  write  two  large  volumes 
than  a  brief  account.  No  doubt  I  have  related  a 
number  of  events  which  some  will  think  might  have 
been  omitted,  while  others  may  be  looking  in  vain 
for  incidents  which,  in  their  judgment,  ought  to 
have  been  included.  I  have  endeavored  to  present 
the  main  features  of  the  life  and  work  of  the  great 
leader  in  accordance  with  the  general  object  of  the 
series,  "Men  of  the  Kingdom." 

My  second  difficulty  has  been  the  language. 
While  it  is  not  easy  to  render  Luther's  pointed  and 
trenchant  German  into  idiomatic  English,  the  diffi- 
culty is  so  much  the  greater  for  one  whose  mother 
tongue  is  the  language  of  Luther. 


CONTENTS 

>^ 

Booh  I 

THE  MAKING  OF  THE  LEADER 

Chapter  page 

I.    The  Peasant's  Son,      -         -         -  -       ii 

n.     Student  Days,          -         -         -         -  i6 

in.    Under  the  Monk's  Hood,  -         -  -       25 

IV.    The  Holy  City,       -         -         -         -  35 

V.    Professor  and  Teacher,      -         -  -       42 

Book  n 

PULLING  DOWN  THE  OLD 

VI.    The  Challenge,       -         -         -         -  53 

VII.     Attempts  to  Silence  the  Monk,  -  -       64 

VIII.    The  Breach  Widens,        -         -         -  75 

^-•IX.     Luther's  Appeal  to  the  Nation,  -       S6 

X.    The  Bull  of  Excommunication,       -  98 

XI.     Facing  the  Emperor  and  His  Princes,  117 

XII.    Luther  Disappears,          -         -         -  119 


Contents. 


Booh  III 

BUILDING  UP  THE  NEW 

Chapter  pack 

XIII.  The  German  Bible,    -         -         -  -     127 

XIV.  Checking  Religious  Fanaticism,     -  140 
■^  XV.  Against  the  Social  Revolutionists,  -     152 

XVI.  Marriage  and  Family  Life,  -         -  164 

XVII.  Organizing  the  Lutheran  Church,  -     177 

XVIII.  Struggles  for  Recognition,  -         -  187 

XIX.  '<EiN  FESTE  Burg  ist  unser  Gott,"  -     200 

XX.  The  Educator,      -         -         -         -  209 

XXI.  Preacher  and  Writer,       -         -  -     220 

XXII.  Political  and  Social  Views,           -  229 

^^  XXIII.  The  Theologian,       -         -         -  -     239 

XXIV.  Last  Days  and  Death,          -         -  246 


BOOK  I 

THE  MAKING  OF  THE  LEADER 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  PEASANT'S  SON. 

Out  of  the  dungeon  in  which  John  Huss  was 
imprisoned  before  he  was  burned  at  the  stake  in 
the  year  141 5  he  wrote  the  words:  "They  may  kill 
a  goose  [the  word  Huss  meaning  in  the  Bohemian 
language  a  goose]  but  a  hundred  years  from  now  a 
swan  will  arise  which  they  will  not  be  able  to  kill." 

Those  were  prophetic  words.  Not  a  hundred 
years  elapsed  when  the  man  of  destiny  was  born, 
whose  voice,  mighty  and  penetrating,  could  not  be 
stifled  by  fire  and  smoke;  whose  words  ran  like 
wildfire  through  Europe,  and  shook  the  very  foun- 
dations of  the  most  stupendous  ecclesiastico-political 
system  that  the  world  had  ever  seen. 

The  ancestors  of  Martin  Luther  lived  near  the 
little  village  of  Mohra  in  the  Thuringian  Mountains. 
They  were  sturdy,  honest,  hard-working  peasants, 
possessing  the  elements  that  make  for  strength  of 
character,  power  of  will,  firmness  of  purpose  under 
the  pressure  of  adverse  circumstances,  although 
lacking  the  more  subtle  traits  of  refined  culture  and 
gentleness.  "I  am  the  son  of  a  peasant,"  Luther 
was  often  heard  to  say;  "my  father,  my  grand- 
father, and  all  my  ancestors  were  genuine  peasants ; 
afterwards  my  father  turned  to  be  a  miner." 

Hans  and  Margaretha  Luther,  Lutherr,  Luder, 


12  Luther:   The;  Leiad^r. 

or  Liidher — the  name  is  spelled  differently — moved 
to  the  little  town  of  Eisleben,  where,  on  November 
lo,  1483,  a  son  was  born  to  them.  He  was  baptized 
on  the  following  day,  receiving  the  name  of  the 
saint  of  that  day,  Martinus.  A  few  months  later 
we  find  the  family  in  ]\Iansfield,  where  the  elder 
Luther  found  work  in  the  mines. 

In  that  quaint  old  town,  perched  on  the  side  of 
a  steep  mountain,  Martin  Luther  was  reared  in 
poverty  and  amid  hardships.  "My  father  was  a 
poor  miner  and  my  mother  carried  the  wood  from 
the  forest  on  her  back ;  they  both  worked  their  flesh 
off  their  bones  in  order  to  bring  up  their  children." 
Martin  had  three  younger  brothers  and  as  many 
sisters,  and  the  care  of  their  household  was  a  heavy 
burden  for  the  parents.  The  pictures  which  we 
possess  of  them  show  faces  into  which  toil  and  ex- 
posure and  care  had  written  deep  furrows  and  many 
wrinkles,  and  features  which  were  made  hard  by 
incessant  work. 

The  home  training  was  exceedingly  stern,  even 
cruel.  The  rod  reigned  supreme.  "On  account  of 
a  paltry  nut,"  the  mother  punished  the  boy,  "till  the 
blood  flowed."  It  was  the  experience  of  his  early 
childhood  that  taught  him  in  later  years  to  advise 
parents  "to  join  kindness  to  sternness,  and  place  the 
apple  next  to  the  rod."  "Children  ought  not  to  be 
beaten  too  severely.  My  father  once  flogged  me  so 
cruelly  that  I  fled  away  from  him,  and  came  to  bear 
a  grudge  against  him.  It  was  a  long  time  until  he 
again  won  my  confidence." 

When  Martin  was  five  years  of  age  he  was  sent 
to  school.  School  life  in  those  days  was  far  from  be- 


The;  Making  oi^  the  Li^ader.  13 

Ing  a  delig-htful  episode.  With  many  a  blow  of  hand 
and  rod  the  schoohnaster  hammered  into  the  young 
minds  the  Decalogue,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Apos- 
tles' Creed,  the  elements  of  reading  and  writing,  and 
also  the  rudiments  of  Latin  grammar.  Martin  tells 
us  that  in  the  course  of  a  single  morning  he  was 
beaten  not  less  than  fifteen  times. 

But  we  never  hear  a  word  of  complaint,  nor  do 
we  read  that  he  ever  found  fault  with  his  parents. 
"They  meant  it  well  from  the  depth  of  their  hearts," 
he  says ;  'ibut  they  did  not  know  how  to  distinguish 
the  dispositions  to  which  punishment  is  to  be 
adapted." 

It  would  be  a  great  mistake  to  look  upon 
Luther's  parents  as  cruel,  heartless,  void  of  all  feel- 
ings of  love  and  sympathy  for  their  children.  They 
were  ready  to  take  upon  themselves  all  sorts  of 
hardships,  and  to  make  sacrifices  for  the  benefit  of 
their  family.  But  they  could  not  break  away  from 
the  stern,  legal  spirit  of  the  Dark  Ages  which  was 
ruling  everywhere ;  in  the  family  and  in  the  school. 
It  was  their  famous  son  who,  in  later  years,  preached 
and  lived  the  gospel  of  love  and  sunshine,  of  happi- 
ness and  mirth  in  the  home  life.  His  ideal  was  that 
the  mutual  relations  between  parents  and  children 
ought  to  be  the  reflection  of  the  relation  between 
the  Father  in  heaven  and  His  children  on  earth. 

Luther's  training  was  intensely  religious.  His 
parents  were  pious  people,  and  they  desired  to  bring 
up  their  children  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  It  was 
fear,  indeed,  that  was  implanted  into  the  young 
minds.  The  popular  religion  of  those  days  was  by 
no  means  a  source  of  joy  and  happiness.     It  was 


14  L,uthe:r:   The;   L^ade;r. 

full  of  the  remnants  of  ancient  heathendom,  which 
the  Church  had  not  succeeded  or  had  not  cared  to 
drive  out.  Christianity  was  interwoven  with  crude 
superstitions.  Figures  of  devils  and  witches  perpe- 
trating terrible  deeds,  tormenting  the  bodies  and 
souls  of  children  and  grown  persons,  bewitching  the 
cattle,  causing  sickness  and  misfortune  of  every 
kind,  filled  the  minds  of  the  common  people.  Many 
a  dreadful  story  of  diabolical  influences  and  deeds 
was  told  by  Luther's  parents  and  their  friends  at 
the  fireside,  and  the  children,  shivering  with  fear 
and  with  eyes  wide  open,  listened  to  those  tales  and 
believed  them  literally  true,  as  did  their  elders. 

And  how  distorted  were  the  ideas  about  Christ ! 
He  was  not  the  children's  Friend,  the  revealer  of 
God's  love  and  mercy ;  He  was  looked  upon  as  the 
terrible  avenger  of  disobedience  and  wrong.  Says 
Luther:  "From  early  childhood  I  was  accustomed 
to  turn  pale  and  tremble  whenever  I  heard  the  name 
of  Christ  mentioned,  for  I  was  taught  to  look  upon 
Him  as  a  stern  and  wrathful  Judge.  We  were 
taught  that  we  ourselves  had  to  atone  for  our  sins, 
and  since  we  could  not  make  sufficient  amends  or  do 
acceptable  works,  our  teachers  directed  us  to  the 
saints  in  heaven,  and  made  us  call  upon  Mary  the 
Mother  of  Christ  and  implore  her  to  avert  from  us 
Christ's  wrath,  and  make  Him  inclined  to  be  merci- 
ful to  us."  He  also  prayed  to  St.  Anna,  the  mother 
of  the  Virgin,  and  to  St.  George,  these  being  the 
special  patron  saints  of  the  city  of  Mansfeld.  The 
story  of  St.  George's  fight  with  the  dragon  made  a 
deep  and  lasting  impression  upon  Martin's  mind, 


The;  Making  o^  the;  LiIader.  15 

and  filled  him  with  the  ambition  likewise  to  fight  the 
foes  of  God  and  of  the  Church. 

Thus  grew  up  the  youth  who,  in  the  future,  was 
to  fight  the  Church  and  her  visible  head,  and  was 
destined  to  be  a  leader  of  men.  The  severe  disci- 
pline at  home  and  in  school,  in  connection  with  the 
wrong  notions  of  God  inculcated  on  his  mind,  cast 
a  gloom  over  the  early  years  of  Martin  Luther's 
life.  It  made  him  a  timid  boy.  It  wounded  his  soul. 
It  crushed  his  spirit  for  a  while.  But  it  also  gave 
him  a  keen  sense  of  sin,  it  made  his  conscience 
highly  sensitive,  and  thus  became  part  of  the 
preparation  for  his  life's  work. 


CHAPTER  II. 
STUDENT  DAYS. 

A  GREAT  and  noble  ambition  filled  honest  Hans 
Luther.  His  oldest  son,  Martin,  was  to  be  a  law- 
yer. In  his  day-dreams  he  saw  him  robed  in  the 
splendid  gown  of  a  high  justice,  perhaps  the  coun- 
selor of  princes  and  kings.  For  this  end  he  and  his 
wife  were  willing  patiently  to  toil  along,  to  stint 
themselves  even  of  the  necessities  of  life  and  save 
then-  hard-earned  pennies.  For  it  was  a  long  way 
which  led  to  that  goal ;  it  would  take  many  a  year 
of  schooling,  and  would  cost  many  a  florin. 

When  a  boy  of  fourteen,  Martin,  together  with 
another  lad  from  Mansfeld,  was  sent  to  Magde- 
burg. There  the  Lollards  kept  a  school,  which  was 
well  known,  not  only  for  thorough  learning,  but 
also  for  sound  and  earnest  piety.  Like  hundreds  of 
students  at  that  time,  the  two  boys  had  to  beg  their 
way  to  Magdeburg,  and  while  attending  school  they 
relied  upon  the  liberality  of  well-meaning  citizens 
to  supply  their  needs.  Instruction  was  free,  but  the 
students  were  required  to  provide  their  own  lodg- 
ings and  meals.  The  usual  way  was  for  a  company 
of  poor  lads  to  band  themselves  together  and  sing 
in  front  of  the  houses  of  wealthy  citizens.  Some- 
times they  would  be  invited  to  a  meal ;  at  other  times 
they  would  receive  the  remnants  of  a  repast,  or  at 
least  some  slices  of  bread. 

i6 


The;  Making  of*  the;  Le;ade;r.  17 

We  do  not  know  much  of  Luther's  course  of 
study  at  Magdeburg.  Evidently  the  type  of  piety 
prevaiHng  there  made  a  deep  impression  upon  his 
soul.  '*I  have  seen  with  my  own  eyes,"  he  said 
later,  "a  Prince  of  Anhalt,  a  pious  man,  but  misled 
by  those  popish  murderers  of  souls,  going  about  in 
the  streets,  barefooted,  clad  in  the  hood  of  a  beg- 
ging friar,  bent  under  the  load  of  a  heavy  burden, 
and  begging  for  bread.  He  was  emaciated  by  vigils 
and  fasting  and  other  mortifications,  so  that  there 
was  nothing  left  of  him  but  skin  and  bones.  Who- 
ever beheld  him  was  filled  with  veneration,  and  felt 
ashamed  of  his  own  worldly  aspirations." 

After  a  year  had  gone  by  his  father  decided  to 
send  Martin  to  Eisenach,  probably  because  in  that 
city  the  boy  was  nearer  home,  and  also  because  he 
was  in  hopes  that  some  relatives  of  Frau  Mar- 
garetha  who  lived  there  would  take  a  kindly  interest 
in  him.  In  this  expectation  he  was  mistaken.  As 
heretofore,  Martin  had  to  sing  and  beg  for  his  daily 
bread.  Several  times  the  embarrassments  and  dis- 
couragements of  his  poverty  disheartened  him  so 
that  he  made  up  his  mind  to  return  to  his  home  and 
become  a  miner  like  his  father. 

But  Providence  had  mapped  out  a  different  plan 
of  life  for  this  boy.  When  he  had  acquired  the  dis- 
cipline resulting  from  the  long  struggle  with  pov- 
erty a  great  change  took  place.  Frau  Cotta,  the 
wife  of  a  wealthy  merchant  in  Eisenach,  had  often 
noticed  the  sweet,  strong  notes  of  the  little  scholar's 
voice  as  they  rang  out  through  the  church  or  in 
her  own  court-yard.  She  took  a  liking  to  him,  and 
offered  him  a  place  at  her  table  and  in  her  family. 


i8  Luthe;r:  The;  Lkade;r. 

And  so  it  happened  that  the  stately  old  house  fac- 
ing the  market-place  in  Eisenach  became  the  home 
of  Martin  Luther.  It  is  still  standing;  the  cen- 
turies have  left  it  unchanged,  and  every  year  it  is 
visited  by  hundreds  of  tourists.  Blessed  be  the 
memory  of  that  noble  woman,  one  among  many 
who  followed  her,  who  brought  into  the  dreary  life 
of  a  poor,  struggling  youth  the  influences  of  gentle- 
ness and  refined  culture,  and  thus  helped  to  give  to 
the  world  a  life  enriched  and  enlarged  by  all  that 
makes  for  purity  of  home-training  and  breadth  of 
culture. 

A  new  life  opened  to  young  Luther.  Free  from 
care  and  anxiety  as  to  his  sustenance,  he  was  now 
able  to  devote  his  whole  time  to  his  studies,  and 
the  rich  talents  of  his  nature  sprang  forth  into 
promising  buds.  More  important  yet  for  his  future 
work  were  the  influences  which  surrounded  him  in 
the  Cotta  home.  A  new  element  to  which  before 
this  time  he  was  a  stranger  entered  into  his  edu- 
cation. He  now  learned  to  know  the  finer  and 
gentler  traits  of  good  breeding ;  those  subtle  in- 
fluences that  elevate  life  above  the  mere  struggle 
for  existence  and  give  to  it  its  peculiar  charm.  He 
could  indulge  now  in  his  love  for  music.  It  was 
Fran  Cotta  herself  who  put  the  lute  into  his  hands 
and  helped  to  develop  that  musical  talent  which 
afterwards  brought  good  cheer  and  consolation  to 
thousands  of  hearts,  and  stirred  others  to  faithful 
fighting  in  the  cause  of  the  Lord. 

The  three  years  spent  in  the  Cotta  home  at  Eisen- 
ach were  the  happiest  years  of  his  youth.  Sunny 
days  those  were,  of  quiet  study  and  of  refined  asso- 


The  Making  of  thi;  Leader.  19 

ciations,  of  the  enjoyment  of  music  and  other  in- 
nocent pleasures  of  healthy  boyhood. 

The  time  arrived  when  he  was  to  enter  upon  his 
university  studies,  and  in  the  summer  of  1501  the 
name  of  "Martinus  Ludher  ex  Mansfeldt"  was  en- 
tered upon  the  matriculation  book  of  the  University 
of  Erfurt.  His  father's  financial  condition  was  ma- 
terially improved,  owing  to  his  industry  and  thrift. 
He  was  now  in  a  position  to  support  his  son,  thus 
enabling  the  young  student  to  prosecute  his  studies 
without  embarrassment,  and  even  to  purchase  some 
books  of  his  own. 

Erfurt  was  at  that  time  the  most  renowned  uni- 
versity in  Germany.  Students  from  all  parts  of 
Europe  were  attracted  to  this  seat  of  learning,  and 
it  was  a  common  saying  that,  "Whoever  wants  to 
study  thoroughly  must  needs  go  to  Erfurt."  Be- 
fore entering  upon  the  professional  studies,  the  stu- 
dent had  to  go  through  extended  courses  in  logic, 
dialectics,  rhetoric,  all  of  them  being  comprised 
under  the  general  term  of  philosophy.  These  studies 
were  of  a  formal  nature.  Scholasticism  had  reared 
its  imposing  edifice,  in  which  the  sum  total  of 
human  learning  was  systematized  and  made  to  serve 
the  theology  of  the  Church.  Science  was  the  hand- 
maid of  theology,  bound  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Church.  Her  office  was  not  to  investigate  in  order 
to  discover  the  truth.  Absolute  truth  was  contained 
in  the  doctrines  of  the  Church,  and  the  only  work 
that  science  and  philosophy  were  expected  to  do, 
was  to  expound  the  teaching  of  the  Church,  and,  if 
necessary,  to  defend  it.  Whatever  the  Church 
teaches  is  absolutely  true.    The  idea  that  philosophy 


20  Luther:  The;  Le:ade;r. 

or  science  should  ever  lead  to  results  differing  from 
the  established  doctrines  was  simply  preposterous. 

With  chains  of  iron  the  Church  had  fettered 
to  her  chariot,  not  only  the  temporal  power  of 
princes  and  kings,  but  also  the  intellectual  life  at 
the  seats  of  learning.  Every  step  in  the  career  of 
student  and  teacher  was  an  additional  tie  to  the 
Church.  Matriculation  and  graduation,  the  begin- 
ning of  the  scholastic  year  and  the  end  of  it,  were 
celebrated  by  Church  services.  Every  graduate  had 
solemnly  to  pledge  "to  teach  nothing  that  was  in 
contradiction  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  and  her 
approved  teachers,  and  to  report  at  once  to  the  dean 
whenever  he  heard  that  any  member  of  the  faculty 
was  sowing  the  seed  of  heretical  opinions." 

It  looked  as  if  man's  intellectual  faculties  had  no 
more  room  to  assert  themselves  in  research  or  dis- 
covery, and  therefore  they  busied  themselves  with 
fruitless  discussions  about  forms  and  modes  of 
thought.  Scholarship  was  not  in  contact  with  the 
life  of  the  people ;  it  was  shut  up  in  the  cloisters 
and  university  halls.  The  schools  trained  subtk 
rhetoricians,  who  could  split  hairs  but  who  had  no 
appreciation  of  the  needs  of  the  masses  about  them. 
The  scholars  lived  in  a  world  of  their  own,  unreal 
and  unproductive  of  any  good. 

The  years  devoted  to  those  studies  might  be 
looked  upon  as  a  dead  loss,  yet  Luther  ever  after- 
wards was  thankful  for  the  mental  discipline  they 
gave  him.  His  mind  was  clear  and  logical,  with  a 
trend  toward  abstruse  reasoning.  Just  as  St.  Paul 
centuries  before  him,  was  versed  in  rabbinical  learn- 
ing; as  John  Wesley  after  him  had  cause  to  praise 


The;  Making  of  the;  Le;.\de;r.  21 

God  for  the  honest  art  of  reasoning,  for  discovering 
and  refuting  subtle  fallacies,  acquired  in  the  course 
of  his  university  training, — so  Luther  vi^as  trained  in 
the  modes  of  thinking  and  arguing  to  which  his 
age  was  accustomed,  and  he  became  thoroughly 
familiar  with  that  system  of  philosophy  and  theol- 
ogy which,  in  later  years,  he  assailed. 

No  man  can  be  a  leader  of  men  who  does  not 
in  the  highest  degree  possess  a  knowledge  of  the 
men  of  his  time ;  not  only  of  their  manner  of  liv- 
ing and  feeling,  but  also  of  their  way  of  thinking 
and  arguing.  He  must  at  the  same  time  be  in  ad- 
vance of  his  age  and  in  close  touch  with  his  age. 
The  dreamer  may  see  visions  of  future  betterments, 
the  true  prophet  not  only  sees  a  vision  as  from  afar, 
but  he  is  also  able,  by  virtue  of  his  knowledge  of 
men,  to  lead  them  on  to  the  realization  of  his  vision. 
We  shall  see  later  on  how  Luther  gave  the  most  im- 
portant impulses  to  the  development  of  modern 
scholarship.  The  modern  idea  of  education  and 
learning  in  its  application  to  the  life  of  the  individ- 
ual and  of  the  community  is  a  direct  result  of  the 
Reformation.  But  the  Reformation  was  not  merely 
an  attempt  to  restore  old  things ;  it  marks  a  turn- 
ing point  in  the  history  of  mankind,  and  shows  the 
"v\"ay  to  new  things  and  conditions.  Luther  was  a 
Reformer,  but  he  was  more ;  he  was  a  leader. 

There  were  signs  of  a  coming  change.  The  new 
humanistic  learning  began  slowly  to  wend  its  way 
into  the  old  university  halls.  The  Renaissance, 
which  was  in  fact  an  intellectual  reformation,  was 
widening  its  sphere  of  influence.  It  was  a  revolt 
from  the  barren  metaphysical  subtleties  of  scholas- 


22  Lutiikr:  The  Le;ader. 

ticism,  a  return  to  the  fountains  of  intellectual 
strength  and  aesthetic  beauty  as  exemplified  in  the 
literature  and  art  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  civiliza- 
tion; a  turning  away  from  the  monastic  ideal  of 
ascetic  other-worldliness  to  the  classical  ideal  of 
thorough  enjoyment  of  everything  that  this  life  can 
give  in  its  most  perfect  and  beautiful  form, 

A  conflict  between  this  new  scholarship  and  the 
traditional  theory  of  life  and  learning  was  unavoid- 
able. In  Erfurt  the  friction  was  not  yet  apparent 
at  the  time  when  Luther  was  a  student.  Jodotus 
Truttvetter  and  the  other  venerable  professors  kept 
on  discoursing  upon  the  fine  points  in  metaphysical 
distinctions,  while  outside  of  the  lecture-rooms 
many  students  drank  in  the  charming  drafts  of 
classic  literature.  Luther  read  Latin  authors  as- 
siduously. He  formed  friendship  with  some  young 
men  who  afterwards  became  renowned  leaders  of 
the  Humanists,  as,  for  instance,  Crotus  Rubianus, 
John  Lange,  and  others.  But  while  these  studies 
enlarged  his  intellectual  vision  and  made  him  feel 
the  more  keenly  the  inexpressible  dr3^ness  and  use- 
lessness  of  the  philosophical  studies,  as  they  were 
carried  on  at  that  time,  in  comparison  with  the 
throbbing  life  of  the  resurrected  classical  world, 
he  very  soon  found  that  the  deepest  needs  of  human 
nature  can  not  be  satisfied  by  these  studies.  Art, 
beauty,  sensual  or  intellectual  enjoyment  even  in  its 
most  refined  form,  can  never  solve  the  great  prob- 
lems of  the  human  soul.  Martin  Luther  derived 
his  strength,  not  from  culture,  but  from  religion. 
The  Church  cultivated  religion,  it  is  true ;  but  it  was 
a  caricature  of  genuine  religion,  and  it  had  no  con- 


Th5  Making  of.  the;  Leader.  23 

nection  with  culture.  The  Renaissance  cut  loose 
from  rehgion,  and  cultivated  culture  pure  and  sim- 
ple. Luther  united  true  religion  with  an  apprecia- 
tion of  true  culture.  Religion  without  culture  tends 
to  fanaticism;  culture  without  religion  easily  runs 
into  licentiousness.  The  right  blending  of  both 
leads  to  ideal  manhood. 

Luther's  religious  life  remained  unchanged  dur- 
ing his  student  days.  "In  all  those  years,"  said  he. 
"I  did  not  hear  one  truly  Christian  lecture  or  ser- 
mon from  any  one."  Yet  he  was  a  conscientious 
and  pious  student.  Says  a  contemporary  of  his, 
John  Mathesius :  "Although  he  was  by  nature  a 
buoyant  and  frolicsome  young  fellow,  he  began  his 
day's  work  every  morning  with  prayer,  taking  as 
his  motto,  'He  who  prays  aright  has  finished  his 
studies  more  than  half.'  He  missed  no  lesson,  asked 
questions  of  his  teachers,  and  sought  the  oppor- 
tunity to  converse  with  them;  he  reviewed  often 
with  his  fellows,  and  when  there  were  no  lectures 
he  was  found  in  the  library." 

It  was  in  the  university  library  that  his  eyes  fell 
for  the  first  time  upon  a  whole  Bible.  He  had  never 
in  his  life  seen  a  Bible,  and  now  was  greatly  as- 
tonished that  this  Latin  Bible  contained  many  more 
texts  and  portions  of  the  Gospels  and  Epistles  than 
were  contained  in  the  prayer-books  or  were  read 
in  the  churches.  Turning  over  the  leaves  he  glanced 
at  the  story  of  Hannah  and  Samuel.  He  had  never 
heard  it  before,  and  on  reading  it  he  was  fascinated 
by  its  simplicity  and  religious  fervor.  From  the 
depth  of  his  heart  he  prayed  to  God  to  make  him 
as  pious  ana  as  useful  as  was  Samuel  of  old.  Hence- 


24  Luther:  The  Leader. 

forth  he  was  filled  with  an  eager  longing  to  own  a 
Bible  himself,  and  he  prayed  that  God  in  His  great 
mercy  would  grant  him  the  favor  to  possess  a  copy 
of  that  wonderful  Book. 

Meanwhile  he  finished  the  prescribed  course  of 
study.  In  1502  he  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Philosophy,  and  in  1505  the  higher  degree  of 
Master,  taking  second  rank  in  a  class  of  seventeen 
candidates.  He  was  now  to  enter  upon  his  law 
studies,  and,  in  view  of  his  gifts  and  his  industry, 
everybody  felt  confident  that  a  splendid  career  lead- 
ing to  distinction  and  fortune  was  opening  before 
him. 


CHAPTER  III. 
UNDER  THE  MONK'S  HOOD. 

A  COMPANY  of  merry  students  was  gathered  on 
a  summer  evening  in  the  year  1505  in  Martin 
Luther's  room  at  Erfurt.  He  had  invited  his  friends 
to  a  feast,  and  they  were  passing  the  time  playing, 
singing,  and  merrymaking.  One  of  the  joUiest  was 
young  Luther  himself.  "Friends,"  said  he  when 
they  were  about  to  part,  "to-day  you  see  me  for  the 
last  time ;  I  have  decided  to  become  a  monk."  Peals 
of  laughter  greeted  this  announcement ;  it  was  con- 
sidered a  good  joke.  And  yet  Luther  was  in  deep 
earnest.  He  had  invited  his  friends  to  take  leave  of 
them  for  good.  Two  days  later,  on  July  17th,  they 
escorted  him  reluctantly,  and  vainly  endeavoring  to 
dissuade  him,  to  the  convent  of  the  Augustinian 
Friars.  The  heavy  cloister  doors  opened  and  closed 
again.  Martin  Luther  had  said  adieu  to  the  world, 
and  was  a  monk. 

What  had  caused  this  change? 

What  had  caused  Abraham  of  old  to  leave  his 
kin  and  his  friends  and  to  set  out  on  a  journey  the 
goal  of  which  he  did  not  know?  What  had  im- 
pelled Moses  to  turn  his  back  upon  a  life  of  dis- 
tinction and  splendor  and  to  join  himself  to  a  nation 
of  despised  slaves  ?  What  had  driven  Saul  of  Tar- 
sus to  forsake  a  career  of  brilliant  achievements  as 

25 


26  Luther:  The  Leader. 

a  teacher  of  the  law  and  to  become  a  follower  of 
the  hated  Nazarene  ?  What  has  induced  hundreds  of 
others,  in  all  times  and  among  all  nations,  to  disap- 
point the  fondest  hopes,  to  throw  away  the  choicest 
advantages  of  worldly  weakh  and  power,  to  trample 
upon  their  cherished  plans  of  noble  ambition,  and 
to  enter  upon  a  life  of  obscurity,  of  self-denial,  of 
humiliation,  and  self-abnegation? 

A  strange  thing,  this  heart  of  ours !  Let  it  once 
feel  the  touch  of  the  Eternal,  and  the  whole  world 
of  things  visible  and  material  shrinks  back  into  in- 
significance. When  will  we  learn  that  nothing 
which  this  world  can  give  is,  after  all,  able  to  sat- 
isfy the  deepest  longings  of  our  nature,  to  quench 
its  thirst,  to  give  it  lasting  peace?  "Our  heart  is 
created  to  Thee,  O  Lord !"  exclaims  St.  Augustine, 
"and  it  can  not  rest  until  it  resteth  in  Thee." 

Luther's  decision  was  not  the  outcome  of  some 
sudden  impulse  or  some  passing  excitement.  Sev- 
eral recent  experiences,  no  doubt,  hastened  it,  but 
the  course  of  his  whole  inner  life  tended  to  this 
crisis. 

He  was  of  a  deeply  religious  disposition,  and  his 
whole  education  at  home  and  in  school  had  been  in- 
tensely religious.  "What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
was  the  question  of  paramount  interest  with  him. 
The  Church  had  but  one  answer,  namely :  Do  good 
works,  and  thereby  conciliate  an  angry  God.  "O 
when  will  I  become  pious  and  render  satisfaction, 
so  that  I  may  have  a  merciful  God  ?"  he  cries  out. 

The  great  dread,  haunting  his  life  from  early 
youth,  was  the  thought  of  the  impending  judginent. 
A    sickness    in  Erfurt   brought   him   near   death's 


The;  Making  oi?  the  Leader.  27 

door;  having  recovered,  he  accidentally  cut  open 
one  of  the  arteries  with  his  sword  which  he,  like  all 
students,  was  carrying  constantly,  and  he  was  in 
danger  of  bleeding  to  death  before  medical  aid  could 
be  summoned.  An  intimate  friend  of  his  had  died 
very  suddenly.  All  these  incidents  caused  his 
thoughts  to  turn  upon  the  possibility  of  being  called, 
perhaps  in  a  very  short  time,  before  the  Judge  of 
all  mankind. 

But  here  was  the  conflict,  Luther  was  anything 
but  a  recluse.  With  all  his  deep  and  earnest  piety  he 
was  open  to  the  enjoyments  that  come  to  man  from 
study,  from  music,  from  art,  from  congenial  friend- 
ship, from  success.  But  all  these  things  were  con- 
sidered "worldly"  and,  in  fact,  sinful.  He  was  to 
study  law,  not  so  much  because  he  felt  particularly 
drawn  to  it,  but  because  it  was  his  father's  desire 
and  command.  But  the  practice  of  law  would  lead 
him,  more  so  than  any  other  profession,  into  the 
"world ;"  his  attention  must  needs  be  engrossed  with 
things  secular,  and  the  Church  had  drawn  a  sharp 
Ime  of  demarcation  between  things  secular  and 
things  spiritual. 

The  Church  knew  of  only  one  kind  of  a  holy 
life, — the  ascetic  life  of  a  monk.  ^  He  who  tries  to 
serve  God  in  the  world,  surrounded  with  the  cares 
of  business  or  of  a  family,  is  in  great  danger  of  los- 
ing his  soul;  but  even  at  best  he  can  never  attain 
to  the  ideal  of  a  holy  life.  He  alone  who  sacrifices 
everything  connected  with  this  world,  who  forsakes 
it  and  is  dead  to  it — he  alone  is  on  the  road  that 
leads  to  perfection. 


28  Luther:   The;  Leader. 

The  New  Testament  idea  of  a  life  of  sacrifice 
and  service  in  the  midst  of  the  ''world,"  the  privi- 
lege of  regarding  the  duties  of  this  life  as  God- 
given  duties,  was  practically  unknown.  It  was 
Luther  who  in  later  years  became  the  apostle  of 
the  gospel  of  ''serving  God  by  serving  man,"  but  at 
that  time  he  still  shared  the  erroneous  notions  of  his 
age. 

What  was  he  to  do?  On  the  one  side  was  life, 
bright,  happy,  flooded  in  sunlight,  full  of  charming 
prospects ;  nay,  even  more,  there  was  the  explicit 
wish  of  his  father ;  and  was  it  not  his  duty  to  com- 
ply with  the  same  ?  On  the  other  side  was  the  clois- 
ter, dark,  dreary,  full  of  mortifications.  Choose  he 
must.  There  was  no  middle  way.  Who  can  picture 
the  struggles  that  were  going  on  in  the  soul  of  the 
young  Master  of  Philosophy?  Only  occasional  re- 
marks of  later  years  lead  us  to  suspect  how  fierce 
they  were.  In  vain  he  sought  peace  in  hard  work, 
in  vain  in  congenial  company. 

Finally  he  yielded.    He  brought  the  sacrifice. 

Returning  from  a  visit  to  his  home  he  was  over- 
come by  a  heavy  thunder-storm.  The  strokes  of 
lightning  and  the  peals  of  thunder  seemed  to  his 
terrified  imagination  the  forebodings  of  the  judg- 
ment day.  He  threw  himself  on  the  ground  and  ex- 
claimed :  "Holy  Anna,  help  me !  I  will  become  a 
monk !" 

The  vow  was  made.  It  had  to  be  carried  out. 
It  was  hard,  but  the  greater  the  sacrifice  the  more 
meritorious  the  obedience. 

When  the  heavy  portals  of  the  monastery 
clanged  behind  him   and  the  bars   were   fastened 


The  Making  of  the;  Leader.  29 

again,  Luther  had  no  other  idea  but  that  he  was  sep- 
arated from  the  world  forever.  _ 

The  great  struggle  was  at  an  end.  Was  his  aoul 
satisfied^  Had  he  found  what  he  was  looking  for, 
namely,  the  peace  that  passes  all  understanding? 
We  shall  see  presently. 

Hans  Luther  was  nearly  beside  himself  when 
informed  of  his  son's  change  of  mind.    All  his  hopes 
were  shattered.    All  the  sacrifices  which  he  and  his 
wife  had  cheerfully  made  for  so  many  years  were 
useless      A  man  of  good  common  sense  and  ac- 
customed to  hard  work,  he  had  not  much  use  for 
the  "ignorant  and  lazy  friars."     When  Martin  in- 
sisted that  he  was  following  a  Divine  command  the 
answer  was:   "God  forbid  that  you  are  misled  by  a 
devilish  deception !    Did  you  never  read  that  a  son 
is  to  honor  his  father  and  mother?" 

A  few  months  later,  when  he  lost  two  of  his 
sons  from  the  pestilence  then  raging,  and  when  the 
rumor  came  that  ^lartin  had  also  died,  his  anger 
subsided  to  some  extent.  But  although  he  himself, 
accompanied  bv  a  number  of  relatives  and  friends, 
came  to  hear  his  son  read  his  first  mass,  and  even 
presented  him  with  twenty  florins,  he  was  never 
quite  reconciled  to  the  change  of  Martin's  plans. 

For  several  days  after  the  17th  of  July  the 
friends  were  anxiously  watching  the  gates  of  the 
monastery.  To  no  purpose.  The  young  novice  did 
not  appear,  nor  was  any  one  allowed  to  see  him. 

A  whole  year  passed  by.  His  novitiate  was  at 
an  end.  "Frater  Martinus"  was  to  make  the  solemn 
vow  by  which  he  became  a  monk  for  the  rest  of  his 
life.  The  convent  was  assembled  in  solemn  convoca- 


30  Luthkr:   The;   Leader. 

tion.  The  novice  fell  upon  his  knees,  folded  his  hands 
over  the  book  containing  the  rules  of  St.  Augustine, 
and  vowed:  "I,  Frater  Martinus,  confess  and 
pledge  obedience  to  God  Almighty  and  to  the  Holy 
Virgin  Mary,  and  to  thee,  Frater  Winand,  prior  of 
this  monastery,  and  to  the  general  of  the  Order  of 
St.  Augustine,  to  live  without  property,  in  chastity, 
and  in  obedience  to  the  rules  of  St.  Augustine  as 
long  as  I  live."  A  consecrated  hood  was  put  on 
him.  He  prostrated  himself  on  the  floor  in  the  form 
of  a  cross,  while  the  assembly  chanted  the  prayers 
of  consecration,  and  when  he  arose  he  was  a  monk 
for  his  lifetime. 

There  were  eight  monasteries  at  Erfurt  repre- 
senting as  many  monastic  orders.  Luther  chose 
the  Augustinians  because  they  were  known  both  for 
the  strictness  of  their  rules  and  for  the  cultivation 
of  theological  learning.  Luther's  motive  in  becom- 
ing a  monk  was  a  purely  religious  one.  He  sought 
peace  for  his  soul.  But  while  worldly  studies  might 
prove  to  be  a  snare,  theological  scholarship  was 
surely  not  to  be  despised,  and  so  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  order  that  united  both  piety  and  learn- 
ing. He  had  sold  his  law-books,  but  two  Latin 
classics,  Vergil  and  Plautus,  he  took  with  him  into 
the  monastery. 

The  rules  as  revised  by  John  Staupitz,  the  vicar- 
general  of  the  order,  made  it  the  duty  of  every 
monk  to  devote  considerable  time  to  study,  more 
particularly  to  the  study  of  the  Bible.  Each  mem- 
ber of  the  convent  was  presented  with  a  Bible  for 
his  individual  use.  Luther  devoted  himself  to 
Biblical  and  theological  studies  with  such  diligence 


Thi;  Making  op  the;  Leader.  31 

ana  success  that  he  soon  became  known  as  one  of 
the  most  learned  Augustinians. 

However,  learned  pursuits  were  not  allowed  to 
take  up  too  much  of  his  time.  Like  every  other 
novice  he  had  to  learn  and  comply  with  the  rules 
which  governed  every  hour  day  and  night,  touched 
every  insignificant  detail  of  action,  as  walking, 
kneeling,  standing,  looks,  and  words.  At  first  he 
had  to  perform  even  the  most  menial  services. 

"Sic  mihi,  sic  tibi."  "You  have  to  do  what  I 
had  to  do,"  was  a  common  saying  among  the  older 
monks.  "Saccum  per  naccum."  "Take  the  beg- 
gar's sack  and  go  begging."  It  must  have  been 
humiliating  for  the  Master  of  Philosophy  to  walk 
the  streets  of  his  university  town  and  go  to  the; 
neighboring  villages  begging  for  bread  and  cheese. 
The  convent  was  richly  endowed;  it  did  not  stand 
in  need  of  begging.  But  begging  was  considered 
an  excellent  means  for  promoting  humility,  and 
therefore  necessary  for  the  friars.  Some  of  the 
brethren,  excelling  more  in  ignorance  and  laziness 
than  in  true  piety — for  in  spite  of  all  regulations 
there  were  ignorant  and  lazy  monks,  and  not  a  few 
of  them — felt  called  upon  to  assist  Brother  Martinus 
in  various  ways  in  acquiring  this  most  precious  vir- 
tue, humility. 

Willingly  and  cheerfully  Luther  subjected  him- 
self to  every  possible  form  of  discipline  and  mortifi- 
cation. He  was  a  model  of  monkish  piety.  "If  ever 
a  monk  got  to  heaven  by  monkery,  I  would  have 
gotten  there,"  are  his  own  words.  No  one,  in  any 
age,  could  surpass  him  in  prayers  by  day  and  night, 


32  LuTHi;R:   The:  Leader. 

in  fasting,  in  vigils,  self-discipline,  and  self-morti- 
fication. 

And  yet — had  he  found  what  his  soul  was  look- 
ing for  ? 

There  was  no  mistake.  He  was  as  far  from 
peace  of  conscience  as  ever.  Like  an  unbearable 
burden,  crushing  all  hope  under  its  huge  weight, 
lay  upon  him  his  sin.  "Mea  culpa;  mea  culpa!" — 
My  sin,  my  sin !  was  the  burden  of  his  mind.  His 
life  had  been  moral  and  pure ;  there  were  no  out- 
ward sins  that  rose  up  against  him.  But  he  felt  the 
power  of  the  sinful  principle,  as  the  most  potent 
power  of  his  nature,  pervading  and  vitiating  his 
whole  being  and  keeping  him  away  from  God. 

Could  he  not  atone  for  his  guilt  by  good  works  ? 
He  lived  stricter  than  ever,  wasting  away  his  phys- 
ical strength  in  his  endeavors.  "If  I  had  continued, 
I  would  have  tortured  myself  to  death." 

The  fact  of  his  enforced  solitude  augmented  his 
morbid  self-accusations.  He  had  no  one  who  could 
understand  him,  to  whom  he  could  open  his  heart, 
who  could  counsel  and  direct  him.  It  was  out  of 
his  own  sad  experience  that  he  advised  those  who 
are  in  distress  to  turn  to  their  Savior,  and  also  to 
seek  the  companionship  of  experienced  Christians, 
in  order  to  escape  from  the  evil  thoughts  that  prey 
upon  those  who  are  solitary.  He  read  the  Bible, 
to  be  sure,  but  a  veil  was  before  his  eyes.  Christ 
was  still,  to  his  mind,  the  merciless  Judge.  The 
righteousness  of  God,  which,  according  to  St.  Paul, 
was  revealed  in  the  Gospel,  he  took  to  mean  the 
righteousness  which  metes  out  just  punishment. 

God  never  forsakes  an  upright  man  who  gropes 


The;  Making  of  the:  Leadijr.  33 

his  way  in  the  darkness.  He  sends  him  rays  of  light 
that  penetrate  the  mists  of  erroneous  opinions  with 
which  his  education,  contemporaneous  thought, 
false  teaching  of  the  Church,  surrounded  him,  just 
as  the  wanderer  in  the  mountains  is  sometimes  en- 
veloped in  dense,  dark  fogs.  Finally  the  time  conies 
when  the  clouds  burst,  and  he  can  walk  in  the  full 
light  of  the  freedom  of  a  son  of  God. 

"Thou  art  a  fool,"  reproved  his  confessor ;  "God 
is  not  angry  with  thee ;  thou  art  angry  with  God." 

"Brother,"  said  to  him  a  good  old  monk,  look- 
ing into  the  haggard  face  of  the  penitent,  "you 
must  obey  God  and  believe  in  the  forgiveness  of 
sins." 

From  no  one  did  he  receive  more  help  than  from 
the  vicar-general  of  his  order.  Dr.  John  Staupitz. 
He  was  the  only  one  who  could  understand  his  men- 
tal agonies.  Superficial  minds  lack  the  ability  of 
fathoming  the  anguish  of  an  awakened  conscience. 
Staupitz  was  a  man  who  knew  something  of  experi- 
mental religion.  He  was  an  evangelical  at  heart, 
although  he  never  severed  his  connection  with  the 
Catholic  Church. 

No  one  else,  perhaps,  united  all  the  qualities 
which  enabled  him  to  be  the  spiritual  guide  and 
counselor  of  this  troubled  mind.  He  was  the  de- 
scendant of  a  noble  family,  clearheaded,  a  man  of 
broad  culture,  thorough  scholarship,  whose  theol- 
ogy, though  darkened  somewhat  by  the  prevailing 
scholasticism,  was  nurtured  on  the  Bible.  He  was  of  a 
kind,  sympathetic  nature,  and  possessed  in  a  singular 
degree  the  power  to  discern  and  appreciate  the 
needs  of  whosoever  applied  to  him  for  aid.  Luther 
3 


34  IvUTher:   The;  Leade;r, 

never  forgot  the  world  of  gratitude  he  owed  to  this 
man.  "If  Dr.  Staupitz,  or  rather  God  through  Dr. 
Staupitz,  had  not  helped  me  out  of  my  trials,  I 
would  have  drowned  in  them  and  would  have  been 
in  hell  long  ago." 

Listen  to  some  of  the  evangelical  truths  which 
Staupitz  impressed  upon  Luther : 

"You  have  an  altogether  wrong  idea  of  Christ. 
Christ  does  not  terrify ;  his  office  is  to  comfort." 

"More  than  a  thousand  times  I  pledged  that  I 
would  lead  a  life  of  piety,  and  I  never  did  it.  1 
see  now  that  I  can  not  live  up  to  my  pledges,  and 
so  I  quit  making  pledges." 

"The  law  of  God  says  to  us :  Here  is  a  high 
mountain ;  thou  must  cross  it.  Flesh  and  presump- 
tion vow:  I  will  cross  it.  Conscience  interposes: 
Thou  canst  not.  Despair  concludes:  I  will  let  it 
go." 

"Trials  are  good  and  necessary,  my  brother; 
otherwise  you  would  never  amount  to  very  much." 

Those  were  the  starting  points  for  new  currents 
of  thought.  They  shed  light  upon  a  number  of 
Scripture  passages,  especially  in  the  Pauline  Epis- 
tles. For  days  and  weeks  Luther  would  ponder 
words  like  these :  "The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth.  For 
therein  is  revealed  a  righteousness  of  God  from 
faith  unto  faith :  as  it  is  written.  But  the  righteous 
shall  live  by  faith."  Deeper  and  deeper  he  pene- 
trated into  the  meaning  of  St.  Paul's  great  doctrine, 
but  just  as  he,  from  his  solitary  cloister  cell,  could 
see  only  a  little  speck  of  God's  blue  sky,  so  he  had 
only  faint  glimpses  of  God's  infinite  love  and  ten- 
der mercy. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  HOLY  CITY. 

To  MAKE  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome;  to  confess  in 
the  Holy  City  all  his  sins  committed  from  his  early 
youth ;  to  visit  the  many  sites,  sacred  to  the  memory 
of  saints  and  martyrs;  to  avail  himself  of  the  rich 
indulgences  offered  there;  to  read  mass  in  Rome,-- 
had  been  a  long  cherished  hope  of  the  young  monk. 
Hardly  had  he  dared  to  look  for  its  realization. 

But  all  of  a  sudden,  probably  in  the  year  1511, 
he  was  sent  by  his  superior,  Dr.  Staupitz,  to  Rome 
to  assist  in  the  settlement  of  some  difficulties  which 
had  arisen  in  the  management  of  the  order.     Ac- 
companied by  John  von  Mecheln,  the  prior  of  a 
Dutch  convent,  Luther  crossed  the  Alps,  and,  after 
a  weary  journev  afoot,  the  wanderers  saw  from 
afar  the  spires  of  the  Holy  City  rising  over  the 
Campagna  and  gilded  by  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun. 
It  was  a  great  moment  for  pious  Martin  Luther. 
"Hail,  thou  Holy  City!"  he  cried  out,  and,  over- 
come by  awe  and  reverence,  he  fell  upon  his  knees. 
The  sight  of  Rome  might  indeed  fill  any  thinking 
mind  with  feelings  of  admiration,  and  overwhelm 
any  pious  soul  with  profound  veneration.     Rome 
was  at  that  time  the  center,  the  very  embodiment  of 
the  greatest  political  and  spiritual  power  the  world 
had  ever  seen.    Empires,  religions,  civilizations  had 

35 


36  Luther:   The   Leader. 

changed  in  the  course  of  the  centuries ;  the  power 
of  Rome  remained. 

The  city  on  the  seven  hills  was  in  a  former  age 
the  mistress  of  the  pagan  world.  She  had  subdued 
the  nations,  she  ruled  them  with  an  iron  hand.  She 
broke  down  the  barriers  between  the  peoples,  and 
welded  them  into  a  great  empire.  Roman  legions, 
Roman  laws,  Roman  language,  were  dominant  in 
all  climes.  The  treasures  of  Greek  art  and  philoso- 
phy, of  Oriental  wealth,  of  everything  that  human 
m.inds  had  discovered  and  invented,  that  human 
hands  had  wrought  and  achieved,  were  used  by 
Rome  as  material  to  build  up  the  tremendous  struc- 
ture of  the  Roman  empire.  The  Roman  emperor 
became  in  course  of  time  the  supreme  ruler  of  the 
world.  Even  more  than  that:  he  became  the  visi- 
ble representative  of  the  Divine  powers ;  he  was 
adored  as  a  God,  and  reigned  as  a  God. 

The  ancient  Roman  empire  declined  and  fell. 
The  cities  were  sacked,  the  temples  burned,  the 
deities  dethroned,  the  priests  driven  away,  the 
armies  vanquished,  the  laws  abolished,  the  whole 
tremendous  structure  of  the  Grasco-Roman  civiliza- 
tion, reared  to  a  dazzling  height,  tottered  and  fell. 
Barbarians  roamed  over  the  sites  of  ancient  achieve- 
ments and  splendor. 

But  Rome  remained.  Pagan  Rome  became 
Christian  Rome.  Again  she  set  out  to  conquer  the 
world,  with  weapons  more  subtle,  with  tactics  more 
diplomatic,  and  again  she  succeeded.  A  new  Chris- 
tian civilization  arose  upon  the  ruins  of  the  old 
pagan  world,  and  Rome  was  the  dominating  power. 
Step  by  step  the  great  ecclesiastical  statesmen  and 


The;  Making  of  th^  Leader.  37 

master-builders  had  advanced  during  the  past  cen- 
turies towards  the  goal  which  they  had  constantly 
before  their  eyes ;  namely,  to  build  up  the  visible 
kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  Diplomacy,  as  well  as 
arms,  were  resorted  to  as  means  to  accomplish  this 
end ;  but  the  most  potent  of  all  factors  was  religion. 

Rome  was  the  seat  of  the  pope.  The  pope  was 
the  vice-regent  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  ruler  of  God's 
kingdom  on  earth.  God  had  given  two  swords  for 
the  purpose  of  promoting  and  defending  His  cause. 
The  one  represented  the  temporal  power;  it  was 
wielded  by  the  emperor,  the  kings,  and  the  other 
temporal  rulers.  The  other  was  the  emblem  of  the 
spiritual  power;  it  was  in  the  hands  of  the  pope. 
Temporal  things  are  subservient  to  spiritual  things ; 
the  temporal  power  must  ever  be  at  the  disposal  of 
the  spiritual  power.  The  rulers  of  the  nations  are  to 
execute  the  biddings  of  the  vice-regent  of  the  high- 
est ruler.  At  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury there  was  no  European  government  that  dared 
to  defy  these  claims,  arrogant  as  they  certainly 
were. 

Moreover,  the  successor  of  St.  Peter  had  the 
absolute  power  to  bind  and  loose  on  earth  and  in 
heaven.  All  through  the  Middle  Ages  the  terrors 
oi  the  judgment  and  the  bliss  of  the  world  to  come 
were  intense  realities  to  the  minds  of  men.  The 
great  object  of  life  was  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come  and  to  get  to  heaven.  But  salvation  was  pos- 
sible only  within  the  folds  of  the  Church.  "Extra 
ecclesiam  nulla  salus" — that  is,  "Outside  of  the 
Church  there  is  no  salvation" — was  the  accepted 
creed,  and  the  Church  was  under  the  undisputed 


38  Luther:  The  Leader. 

control  of  her  head,  the  pope.  Every  road  led  to 
Rome,  and  the  thousands  of  ecclesiastical  organiza- 
tions that  covered  the  European  countries  with  the 
meshes  of  an  immense  net,  looked  to  Rome  for 
guidance  and  direction,  for  counsel  and  command. 

There  had  been  a  time  when,  under  the  sign  of 
the  Golden  Eagle,  Roman  legions,  at  the  command 
of  the  Roman  emperor,  held  the  world  conquered ; 
now,  when  Luther  saw  the  Eternal  City,  an  army  still 
vaster,  more  obedient,  better  disciplined,  held  the 
world  conquered  under  the  sign  of  the  cross  at  the 
bidding  of  the  Roman  pope.  The  power  which 
Rome  yielded  over  the  consciences  of  men  was  su- 
preme, 

Well  might  the  poor  monk  cry  out,  "Salve  Roma 
Sancta !" — Hail  to  thee.  Holy  Rome ! — for  that  city, 
dimly  visible  at  the  distant  horizon,  was  to  him,  as 
to  millions  of  others,  the  very  embodiment  of  every- 
thing that  was  holy  and  grand,  yea,  all  that  was 
divine. 

Luther's  visit  lasted  four  weeks,  long  enough  to 
see  the  wonders  of  the  Eternal  City,  the  ruins  of 
the  Coliseum,  the  baths  of  Diocletian,  the  Pantheon, 
and  other  remains  of  past  glory.  He  visited  also 
the  catacombs  and  other  places  made  sacred  by  the 
sufferings  of  the  martyrs,  and,  above  all,  those 
churches  and  shrines  where  "special  grace"  could  be 
obtained.  "I  was  at  Rome  a  crazy  saint,"  is  his 
comment  in  later  years,  "running  to  all  the  churches 
and  monasteries,  and  believing  all  the  stories  that 
they  tell.  I  also  read  one  or  ten  masses  at  Rome, 
and  I  felt  sorry  that  my  father  and  mother  were 
still  alive,  for  I  was  anxious  to  redeem  them  from 


The;  Making  of  the;  Le;ader.  39 

purgatory  by  reading  mass  and  doing  other  good 
works  and  saying  prayers." 

It  is  well  known  how  he  climbed  on  his  knees 
the  twenty-eight  steps  of  the  Scala  Sancta — the 
identical  staircase,  as  was  believed,  which  formerly 
led  up  to  the  palace  of  Pilate  in  Jerusalem — in  or- 
der to  receive  the  rich  blessings  promised  by  sev- 
eral popes  upon  all  who  would  perform  this  merito- 
rious deed.  But,  somehow  or  other,  Luther  could 
not  become  sensible  of  any  blessing.  Again  and 
again,  intruding  upon  his  devotion  and  disturbing 
him  in  his  supplications,  there  came  to  him  the 
words  which  St.  Paul  quoted  from  the  prophecy  of 
Habakkuk,  "The  just  shall  live  by  faith." 

Even  Rome  did  not  give  to  his  soul  the  peace 
which  he  longed  for.  On  the  contrary,  his  sojourn 
in  the  Holy  City,  brief  though  it  was,  sufficed  to 
convince  him  that  Rome  could  never  supply  the 
needs  of  his  spiritual  nature.  The  high  ideals  of 
the  sanctity  of  the  worship,  of  the  saintly  life  of  the 
pope  and  the  other  ecclesiastical  dignitaries,  which 
filled  his  own  soul  with  holy  aspirations  and  stimu- 
lated him  to  like  endeavors,  were  rudely  shattered. 
What  he  saw  and  heard  in  holy  Rome  was  the  very 
opposite  from  what  he  had  expected.  Instead  of 
piety  he  found  levity ;  instead  of  holiness  he  met  las- 
civiousness;  instead  of  seeing  pure  spirituality  he 
beheld  nothing  but  carnalmindedness,  greed,  and 
self-seeking.  Religion  was  but  the  cloak  which  cov- 
ered up  shame  and  vice.  The  white  garments  of 
the  Church,  the  bride  of  Christ,  were  polluted  with 
the  stains  of  the  most  disgraceful  and  carnal  man- 


40  Luthkr:   The   Leader. 

ner  of  living.  Wherever  he  turned  he  saw  hypoc- 
risy and  sin. 

When  reading  mass  his  v^rhole  being  was  filled 
with  holy  awe  by  the  solemnity  of  the  sacrament. 
Slowly,  deliberately  he  pronounced  the  words  of 
the  Eucharist.  But  the  Italian  priests  called  im- 
patiently, "Passa,  passa!"  that  is,  "Quick,  quick! 
send  the  Son  back  to  our  blessed  Virgin."  All  they 
cared  for  was  to  get  through  with  the  empty  cere- 
mony as  rapidly  as  possible  and  receive  their  pay 
for  it.  He  heard  priests  laughingly  tell  how  they 
would  say  in  Latin,  instead  of  pronouncing  the 
words  of  consecration,  "Bread  thou  art  and  bread 
thou  remainest ;  wine  thou  art  and  wine  thou  re- 
mainest."  Everything  that  was  to  him  an  object  of 
holy  adoration  was  made  the  butt  of  blasphemous 
jests. 

Could  it  be  true  what  he  heard  of  the  private 
life  of  cardinals  and  popes?  He  was  shown  what 
purported  to  be  a  monument  of  the  Papess  Joanna, 
who,  as  the  story  went,  was  overtaken  by  the  pangs 
of  childbirth  while  takmg  part  in  a  solemn  pro- 
cession. He  was  told  incredible  stories  of  the  vices 
of  Pope  Alexander  VI,  who  had  died  but  a  few 
years  before  (in  1503),  as  well  as  of  his  son  Caesar 
and  his  daughter  Lucretia, 

And  all  these  things  were  told  without  a  blush, 
without  a  tinge  of  sadness  over  the  deplorable 
condition  of  the  Church.  If  the  German  monk 
expressed  his  grief  he  was  sneeringly  called  a 
fool.  Says  he :  "Nobody  can  form  an  idea 
of  the  licentiousness,  vice,  shame  that  is  in 
vogue   in  Rome.      Nobody   would  believe   it   un- 


The;  Making  oj'  the;  Leader.  41 

less  he  could  see  it  with  his  own  eyes  and  hear  it 
with  his  own  ears.  Rome  was  once  the  holiest  city, 
now  it  is  the  vilest.  It  is  true  what  has  been  said, 
*If  there  be  a  hell,  Rome  must  be  built  over  it.'  " 

Yet  in  spite  of  all  that  he  saw  or  heard,  he  still 
loved  the  grand  old  Church  with  his  whole  heart. 
He  did  not  return  from  Rome  an  enemy  of  the 
Church  nor  even  intending  to  reform  it.  The  fiery 
denunciations  of  her  practices  date  from  a  later 
period,  when  he  viewed  them  in  the  new  light  that 
had  dawned  on  him.  But  if  ever  a  man  left  the 
"Holy  City"  thrust  dowri  from  the  heights  of  zeal 
and  enthusiasm  to  the  very  depths  of  despair, 
wounded  and  crushed  in  spirit,  full  of  keen  and  bit- 
ter disappointment,  it  was  that  plain,  honest  Ger- 
man monk. 

However,  this  experience  was  but  another  step 
in  his  preparation.  "I  would  not  take  a  thousand 
florins  for  missing  that  visit  to  Rome.  I  would  con- 
stantly fear  that  I  wronged  the  pope.  But  now  T 
can  speak  of  what  I  have  seen  myself." 


CHAPTER  V. 
PROFESSOR  AND  PREACHER. 

TherS  were  two  flourishing  universities  in  the 
Saxon  lands;  one  at  Erfurt,  the  other  only  about 
seventy  miles  away,  in  Leipzig.  It  might  seem  as 
if  there  had  been  no  need  of  a  third  one  to  be 
founded.  But  Leipzig  belonged  to  Prince  Albrecht, 
of  Saxony,  and  Erfurt  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
Archbishop  of  Mainz,  and  therefore  Elector  Fred- 
erick, surnamed  the  Wise,  deemed  it  necessary  to 
have  a  university  of  his  own.  In  the  year  1502  he. 
founded  the  University  of  Wittenberg,  only  forty 
miles  from  Leipzig. 

The  town  chosen  for  the  new  school  could  not 
boast  of  many  advantages.  It  consisted  of  not  moie 
than  four  hundred  low,  straw-thatched  houses ;  the 
number  of  its  inhabitants  did  not  exceed  three  thou- 
sand, and  they  were  mostly  poor  and  unlettered. 
The  country  round  about  was  sandy  and  barren ; 
the  sanitary  conditions  of  the  city  were  deficient, 
causing  frequent  visitations  of  the  plague  ;  the  place 
was  situated  "at  the  borders  of  civilization." 

In  spite  of  these  drawbacks  the  name  of  Witten- 
berg was  destined  to  become  one  of  the  most  re- 
nowned among  the  many  seats  of  learning  in 
Europe.  It  was  here  that  Martin  Luther  spent 
42 


The  Making  of'  th^  Leader.  43 

most  of  his  life  and  did  most  of  his  work.  He  made 
the  university  not  only  the  center  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, but,  more  than  that,  the  starting-point  of  mod- 
ern culture. 

The  income  of  the  newly  established  school  be- 
ing very  meager,  the  Elector  called  men  to  the  pul- 
pits of  the  two  churches  who  could  at  the  same  time 
fill  professors'  chairs,  and  he  also  expected  that  the 
Augustinian  convent  located  in  Wittenberg  would 
furnish  a  number  of  teachers.  In  order  to  accom- 
plish this  the  vicar-general,  Dr.  Staupitz,  who  co- 
operated heartily  with  the  Elector,  was  made  dean 
of  the  theological  faculty. 

As  early  as  1508  Luther  was  transferred  from 
Erfurt  to  Wittenberg,  and  appointed  lecturer  on 
moral  philosophy.  But  in  the  following  year  we 
find  him  again  at  Erfurt,  and  it  was  not  until  his 
return  from  Rome  that  he  became  professor  in  Wit- 
tenberg. From  1 5 12  to  his  death  in  1545,  he  re- 
mained in  this  position.  He  always  considered  the 
work  of  a  university  professor  his  main  work;  al! 
other  activities  were  in  connection  with  his  univer- 
sity work.  We  shall  soon  see  that  Luther  had  an 
altogether  new  idea  of  the  legitimate  work  of  a  uni- 
versity professor.  He  is  not  to  spend  his  life  in 
special  research  work  exclusively,  separate  from  the 
common,  every-day  world,  with  interests  and  aspira- 
tions wholly  foreign  to  the  welfare  of  the  commu- 
nity in  which  he  lives,  but  he  is  to  be  in  close  touch 
with  the  religious,  social,  and  political  movements 
of  his  time ;  a  man  who  brings  to  bear  the  results 
of  his  studies  on  the  great  questions  which  agitate 
his  contemporaries ;  a  scholar  who  studies  the  prob- 


44  Luther:  The  Leader. 

lems  of  the  past  in  order  to  understand  the  problems 
which  confront  his  own  age,  and  who  has  the  cour- 
age to  lead  his  people  to  a  higher  plane. 

At  first  Luther  had  no  desire  whatever  to  as- 
sume the  duties  of  a  Doctor  and  Professor  of  Di- 
vinity. It  took  a  long  time  before  Staupitz  suc- 
ceeded in  persuading  him  to  be  obedient  to  the  call. 
"No  good  deed  is  done  pursuant  to  man's  own  wis- 
dom ;  every  step  must  be  done  blindfolded,  as  it 
were.  Thus  I  was  drawn  into  the  work  of  a  teacher. 
If  I  had  then  known  what  I  know  now,  ten  horses 
could  not  have  pulled  me." 

On  the  eighteenth  day  of  October,  1512,  after 
a  formal  disputation  held  in  the  university  chapel, 
the  Doctor's  cap  and  ring,  the  signs  of  his  degree, 
were  presented  to  him,  and  he  was  now  a  Doctor  of 
Divinity.  The  expenses  were  defrayed  by  the 
Elector. 

Luther  was  now  a  Professor  of  Theology.  Were 
his  inward  struggles  ended?  Had  he  found  peace? 
Was  he,  to  use  a  popular  expression,  a  converted 
man  ?    If  so,  when  and  how  was  he  converted  ? 

When  was  John  Wesley  converted?  He  had 
been  a  priest  of  the  Church  of  England  for  several 
years,  was  a  missionary  to  the  heathen,  and  yet 
when  he  returned  from  America  he  wrote,  "I  found 
that  I  was  never  converted  myself."  This  remark- 
able statement  he  modified  in  his  later  years  by  add- 
ing the  words,  "I  am  not  so  sure  about  that."  Was 
John  Wesley  converted  in  that  memorable  night  of 
May  28,  1738,  when,  in  hearing  some  one  read 
Luther's  Preface  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  he 
felt  his   heart    strangely  warmed?      But    several 


Th^  Making  of  thi;  Leader.  45 

months  later  he  wrote,  "I  affirm  that  I  am  not  a 
Christian  now." 

The  spiritual  history  of  these  two  great  men  has 
many  points  of  similarity.  Both  were  from  youth 
deeply  religious ;  both  were  brought  up  in  strictly 
sacramentarian,  High-Church  principles ;  both  led  a 
clean  life,  and  were  striving  after  personal  holiness ; 
both  were  haunted  by  an  overwhelming  sense  of  sin 
and  depravity;  both  were  utterly  sincere  in  their 
searching  self-examination  and  self-abasement, 
sometimes  morbidly  so;  both  made  a  perfect  sur- 
render (jf  their  will — nothing  can  be  a  more  perfect 
sacrifice  than  that  which  Luther  made  when  enter- 
ing the  cloister,  or  Wesley  after  reading  Thomas  a 
Kempis  and  Jeremy  Taylor;  both  read  their  Bibles 
unremittingly,  passionately,  yet  both  groped  in  dark- 
ness for  many  a  year ;  both  did  everything  that  lay 
in  their  power  to  find  peace  with  God — no  effort 
was  too  exacting  no  self-effacement  too  painful ; 
both  carried  the  shackles  of  erroneous  theological 
opinions,  and  it  took  years  before  they  had  shaken 
them  off  entirely. 

The  inner  life  of  both  was  nourished  on  the 
Word  of  God,  and  it  was  the  life-giving  Word  of 
the  living  God,  received  in  simple  faith,  which  grad- 
ually transformed  their  lives  and  their  views.  We 
can  notice  decisive  steps,  critical  moments  in  their 
spiritual  development ;  but  their  conversion  was  not 
a  single  dramatic  act,  but  rather  a  process  extend- 
ing through  a  number  of  3^ears. 

The  important  question  is  not.  When  was  he 
converted  or  how?  but  rather.  Is  he  living  the  life 
of  a  child  of  God?    Is  he  in  fellowship  with  Christ? 


46  Luther:  The;  htADtR. 

Luther's  struggles  for  the  peace  of  his  soul  came 
certainly  to  an  end  during  the  first  few  years  of  his 
stay  at  Wittenberg. 

Gradually  he  was  led  by  his  Biblical  studies  to 
see  the  full  light  of  the  Gospel  truth.  The  books 
which  he  read  and  studied  over  and  over  again  till 
they  became  part  and  parcel  of  his  very  being  were 
St.  Paul's  Epistles  to  the  Romans  and  the  Galatians 
and  the  Book  of  Psalms.  He  began  to  see  that  the 
righteousness  of  God  is  not  merely  an  attribute  of 
the  great  Judge  of  mankind,  but  that  God  in  His 
compassion  freely  gives  His  righteousness  to  the 
believer,  and,  together  with  this  gift,  He  bestows 
also  full  salvation  and  life  eternal.  Having  taken 
hold  of  this  great  truth,  he  was  made  free.  "Now 
I  became  happy,  now  the  whole  of  the  Bible,  even 
heaven  itself,  was  open  to  me." 

Listen  to  the  words  which  in  the  month  of  April, 
1516,  he  wrote  to  a  fellow  monk:  "Now  I  would 
like  to  know  about  the  state  of  your  soul.  Have 
you  learned  to  despise  your  own  righteousness  and 
to  put  your  trust  in  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
alone?  Many  do  not  know  the  righteousness  of 
God  which  is  given  us  abundantly  and  freely  in 
Christ ;  but  they  endeavor  to  do  good  works  and 
depend  on  their  own  efforts,  their  own  virtue,  their 
own  merits.  You  were  full  of  this  great  error  when 
you  were  here,  and  I  was  full  of  it.  Even  now  I 
must  fight  against  it,  and  have  not  finished.  There- 
fore, my  beloved  brother,  learn  Christ  and  Plim  cru- 
cified. Learn  to  despair  of  thyself  and  to  say  to 
Him :  'Thou,  Lord  Jesus,  art  my  righteousness,  but 
1  am  Thy  sin.    Thou  hast  assumed  what  was  mine 


Ths  Making  of  th^  Leader.  47 

and  given  me  what  was  Thine.  Thou  hast  assumed 
what  Thou  wast  not,  and  hast  given  me  what  I  was 
not.'  If  by  our  own  exertions  we  could  attain  peace 
of  conscience,  why,  then,  did  Christ  die?" 

What  the  young  professor  had  experienced  in 
his  own  soul  he  communicated  to  his  students.  His 
lectures  were  not  formal  philosophical  or  dogmatx 
dissertations.  He  poured  out  in  them  his  very  heart, 
testifying  to  the  power  of  experimental  faith.  Says 
Melanchthon :  "After  a  long  and  dark  night  there 
arose  here  in  the  university,  according  to  the  judg- 
ment of  all  religious  and  judicious  persons,  a  new 
light.  Here  he  pointed  out  the  difference  between 
the  Law  and  the  Gospel ;  here  he  refuted  the  erro- 
neous opinion  which  dominated  the  schools  and  the 
pulpits ;  namely,  that  we  could  merit  the  forgive- 
ness of  our  sins  by  our  own  works,  and  could  be- 
come righteous  in  the  eyes  of  God  by  the  discipline 
of  the  law.  He  called  men  to  the  Son  of  God.  Like 
John  the  Baptist  he  pointed  them  to  the  Lamb  of 
God  that  bore  our  sins,  and  he  showed  that  this 
favor  is  to  be  received  by  faith  alone." 

A  new  era  commenced  for  theological  studies  in 
general,  and  for  Biblical  studies  in  particular,  when 
Martin  Luther  entered  upon  his  career  as  university 
professor.  The  Bible,  especially  in  the  original  lan- 
guages, was  a  book  then  almost  unknown.  One  of 
Luther's  colleagues,  Dr.  Karlstadt,  had  been  a  Doc- 
tor of  Divinity  seven  years  before  he  ever  read  the 
Bible. 

Luther  cut  loose  from  scholastic  philosophy  and 
lectured  on  the  Bible  exclusively.  Up  to  his  time 
the  Bible  lectures,  such  as  they  were,  constituted 


48  Luther:  The  Leader. 

merely  a  preparatory  work  from  which  the  young 
teacher  soon  advanced  to  expounding  the  "sen- 
tences" of  the  scholastic  writers  and  to  unraveling 
the  intricacies  of  their  philosophic  systems.  To 
Luther  "theology  alone  examined  the  kernel  of  the 
nut,  the  flour  of  the  wheat,  and  the  marrow  of  the 
bones,"  and  by  theology  he  meant  the  theology  of 
the  Bible.  He  always  preferred  to  be  called  "Doc- 
tor  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,"  instead  of  "Doctor  of 
Theology."  Those  Biblical  books  which  were  of 
the  greatest  importance  in  his  own  personal  life — 
namely,  the  Psalms,  Romans,  and  Galatians — were 
most  frequently  expounded  by  him  in  his  lecture- 
room. 

During  the  first  few  years  his  time  was  wholly 
occupied  by  his  exegetical  studies,  especially  since 
he  had  to  apply  himself  to  the  study  of  the  original 
languages.  He  had  taken  up  the  study  of  Hebrew 
before  this,  but  had  made  little  progress ;  Greek  he 
did  not  even  commence  before  he  came  to  Witten- 
berg. 

Next  to  the  Bible  he  studied  the  writings  of  St. 
Augustine  and  of  the  Mystics.  Among  the  latter  he 
valued  very  highly  Tauler's  sermons  and  an  anony- 
m.ous  book  which  he  edited  and  called  "Theologia 
Germanica."  In  Augustine  he  found  a  theological 
system  which  gave  him  the  key  to  his  own  expe- 
rience. He  had  learned  that  his  salvation  was  not 
the  reward  for  his  own  efforts,  but  was  God's  free 
gift,  and  it  was  Augustine  who  showed,  as  no  other 
writer  did,  how  futile  are  man's  own  efforts ;  that, 
in  fact  the  natural  man  has  no  moral  freedom,  no 
moral  strength. 


The  Making  of  the  Leader.  49 

In  the  Mystic  writers  he  commended  the  idea  of 
the  necessity  of  personal  union  with  God  in  Christ, 
but  he  avoided  the  snare  of  vague  and  vaporous 
pantheism  into  which  many  of  them  had  fallen. 

There  was  no  lack  of  work.  He  was  promoted 
to  the  position  of  a  district  vicar  in  his  order,  and 
had  charge  of  eleven  monasteries.  Since  15 14  he 
preached  regularly ;  at  first  as  the  assistant  of  the 
aged  pastor  of  the  Stadt-Kirche ;  soon  as  the  regu- 
larly appointed  pastor.  He  preached  in  German,  of 
course,  but  wrote  all  his  sermons  in  Latin.  The 
sermons  on  the  Ten  Commandments  and  on  the 
Lord's  Prayer  were  printed  in  German  "for  chil- 
dren and  for  common  people,"  and  they  sold  so 
fast  that  the  first  sheets  had  to  be  printed  over  again 
before  the  last  ones  had  been  issued  from  the  press. 
From  the  very  beginning  Luther  recognized  the 
value  of  printer's  ink,  and  also  the  irnportance  of 
preaching  and  writing  so  plainly  and  popularly  that 
the  masses  of  the  people  could  easily  understand 
him.  It  stood  him  in  good  stead  that  he  was  a  man 
of  the  people. 


BOOK  II 

PULLING  DOWN  THE  OLD 


CHAPTER  VI. 
THE  CHALLENGE. 

IT  was  on  the  thirty-first  day  of  October,  1517, 
at  noon,  that  Martin  Luther,  either  in  Person  or  by 
some  one  else,  posted  his  now  famous  Nmety-^ve 
Theses  on  the  portals  of  the  Castle  Church  m  Wit- 

^^"^Thts  day  and  the  next  following,  known  in  the 
Church  calendar  as  All-Saints'  Day,  were  the  ga  a 
days  of  Wittenberg.  The  anniversary  of  the  Castle 
Church  was  celebrated,  and  the  5,005  holy  relics 
which  the  Elector  Frederick  at  great  pams  and  ex- 
pense had  collected  from  all  parts  of  the  world  were 
exhibited.  Thousands  of  Frederick's  devout  sub- 
jects made  the  pilgrimage  to  the  little  city  to  view 
those  sacred  objects  and  to  attend  the  services. 

Those  who  could  understand  Latin  might  read 
on  that  day  the  following  words  written  on  a  large 
piece  of  paper  and  nailed  to  the  church  door :      in 
the  desire  and  with  the  purpose  of  elucidating  the 
truth  a  disputation  will  be  held  on  the  underwritten 
propositions  at  Wittenberg  under  the  presidency  of 
the  Reverend  Father  Martinus  Luther,  monk  of  the 
order  of    St.  Augustine,  Master  of    Arts  and  of 
Sacred  Theology,  and  ordinary  reader  of  the  same 
at  that  place.    He  therefore  asks  those  who  can  not 
be  present  and  discuss  the  subjects  with  us  orally, 

S3 


54  Luthkr:  The;  Leader. 

to  do  so  by  letter  in  their  absence.  In  the  name  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen." 

Then  follow  ninety-five  propositions,  or  Theses, 
as  the  subjects  for  discussion.  The  words  of  some 
of  them  are : 

"i.  Our  Lord  and  Master  Jesus  Christ  in  say- 
iny,  'Repent  ye,'  intended  that  the  whole  life  of  be- 
lievers should  be  penitence. 

"32.  Those  who  believe  that,  through  letters  of 
pardon,  they  are  made  sure  of  their  own  salvation, 
will  be  eternally  damned,  together  with  their 
teachers. 

"36.  Every  Christian  who  feels  true  compunc- 
tion enjoys  of  right  the  remission  of  pain  and  guilt, 
even  without  letters  of  pardon. 

"37.  Every  true  Christian,  whether  living  or 
dead,  has  a  share  in  all  the  benefits  of  Christ  and  of 
the  Church,  given  him  b^  God,  even  without  letters 
of  pardon. 

"62.  The  true  treasure  of  the  Church  is  the  Holy 
Gospel  of  the  glory  and  grace  of  God." 

There  was  nothing  revolutionary,  not  even  any- 
thing extraordinary,  in  this  act  of  Luther's.  Public 
disputations  among  the  professors  were  common 
occurrences  in  a  university  town ;  in  fact,  they  were 
frequently  in  connection  with  Church  or  State  cele- 
brations. It  was  customary  to  post  the  Theses  be- 
forehand at  some  public  place,  or  to  print  and  circu- 
late them.  Luther's  Theses,  being  written  in  Latin, 
were  intended  for  scholars ;  the  discussion  was  to  be 
a  university  affair.  He  was  far  from  intending  to 
incite  the  common  people  against  the  Church  or  her 
doctrines. 


Pui.i,iNG  Down  the;  Old.  55 

To  us  who  live  at  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth 
century  those  propositions  which  nearly  four  hun- 
dred years  ago  the  monk  of  Wittenberg  wished  to 
discuss,  do  not  seem  to  contain  much  that  is  remark- 
able. They  do  not  attack  the  doctrines  of  the 
Church  nor  the  system  of  Church  government. 
They  do  not  object  to  the  indulgences  per  se.  They 
firmly  hold  to  the  Catholic  doctrines  of  purgatory, 
of  the  treasure  of  the  Church,  of  the  power  of  the 
keys. 

In  his  Ninety-five  Theses  Luther  simply  pro- 
pounds some  questions  with  reference  to  the  sale 
of  indulgences  as  it  was  carried  on  at  that  time; 
he  objects  to  gross  abuses  connected  with  the  traffic, 
and  invites  discussion  concerning  those  points  that 
-were  not  explicitly  taught  by  the  Church  and  on 
which  theologians  differed. 

If  anybody  should  have  told  the  young  pro- 
fessor that  the  nailing  of  his  Theses  should  be  con- 
sidered, in  later  times,  one  of  the  great  turning 
points  in  the  history  of  the  human  race,  the  open- 
ing of  a  new  era  in  the  religious,  social,  and  polit- 
ical development  of  mankind,  Luther  would  have 
considered  him  a  madman. 

No  one  was  more  surprised  at  the  reception  the 
Theses  met  with,  than  was  their  author.  The  fact 
is  that  his  words  created  a  sensation  as  no  others 
had  done  for  centuries.  Says  Luther,  "In  a  fort- 
night they  flew  all  over  Germany,"  "and,"  adds 
Myconius,  his  contemporary  and  earliest  biog- 
rapher, "in  four  weeks  they  had  spread  through 
Christendom  as  though  angels  were  the  postmen." 
They  were  translated  into  German  and  into  other 


56  Luthkr:  The;  Le;ade;r. 

European  languages,  were  sold  in  Rome,  and  even 
in  far-away  Jerusalem  some  pilgrims  saw  copies  of 
them. 

"Ho,  ho!"  exclaimed  an  old  ecclesiastic,  "the 
man  has  come  who  will  do  the  thing."  "Now  the 
time  has  come  when  darkness  will  be  banished  from 
our  schools  and  churches,"  were  the  triumphant 
words  of  another.  The  old  scholar,  Reuchlin, 
harassed  and  persecuted  by  the  monks,  thanked 
God  "that  the  monks  have  now  found  a  man  who 
will  give  them  full  employment,  so  that  they  will 
be  glad  to  let  me  spend  my  old  age  in  peace." 

What  induced  Luther  to  propound  those  Theses, 
and  how  do  we  account  for  their  unexpected,  tre- 
mendous results? 

In  the  world  of  commerce  and  of  politics  the 
secret  of  success  lies  in  the  clear  conception  of  the 
ultimate  end  desired,  in  the  mastery  of  all  the  de- 
tails necessary  to  its  accomplishment,  and  in  the 
ability  always  to  choose  the  best  course  under 
changed  circumstances.  But  everything  must  be 
planned,  matured  beforehand,  and  the  end  must  be 
kept  constantly  in  view.  The  clear-headed,  far-see- 
ing, shrewd,  calculating  man  who  does  not  take  the 
first  step  before  he  clearly  sees  what  will  be  the  sec- 
ond and  the  third  and  the  tenth,  is  the  successful 
leader. 

The  great  moral  revolutions  and  the  great  re- 
ligious uplif tings  have  been  brought  about  in  a  dif- 
ferent way.  They  were  wrought  by  men  who  had 
the  courage  of  their  convictions,  who  dared  to  take 
the  first  step,  because  the  need  of  the  hour  required 
it,  even  though  they  did  not  see  the  complications 


PuivLiNG  Down  the;  Old.  57 

and  the  final  outcome.  The  leaders  are  men  of 
strong  convictions,  of  moral  courage ;  men  who 
know  no  fear ;  men  who  are  willing  to  sacrifice  their 
personal  comforts,  their  plans  for  preferment,  their 
reputation,  yea,  their  lives,  for  the  cause  they  cham- 
pion, who,  in  short,  do  not  seek  their  own,  but  the 
good  of  their  fellow-men.  Such  a  man  was  Mar- 
tin Luther. 

When  he  posted  his  Theses  to  the  Castle  Church 
at  Wittenberg  he  had  no  preconceived  plans.  He 
saw  a  great  moral  and  religious  wrong,  and  he  rose 
to  fight  it.  In  his  fight  he  desired  to  remain  within 
the  bounds  of  the  then  existing  laws.  He  did  not 
see  the  consequences.  He  did  not  care.  He  saw 
his  present  duty,  and  he  had  the  courage  to  do  it. 

The  Roman  Church  had  worked  out  a  very  elab- 
orate doctrine  of  penance.  Repentance  as  required 
in  God's  Word  consists,  according  to  Roman 
theology,  of  three  parts :  ( i )  Contrition  of  the 
heart;  (2)  Confession  to  the  priest;  (3)  Satisfac- 
tion. When  a  man  with  contrite  heart  confesses  his 
sins  to  the  Church,  his  spiritual  mother,  she  has 
the  power  to  pronounce  forgiveness  and  absolution, 
and  she  does  so  through  her  priests.  But  only  the 
guilt  and  the  eternal  punishments  are  freely  for- 
given, not  the  temporal  punishments.  The  latter  are 
to  be  borne  by  the  sinner.  They  consist  in  pilgrim- 
ages, prayers,  fines,  and  other  deeds  of  penance  im- 
posed by  the  Church ;  and  since  they  can  not  be  dis- 
charged fully  in  this  life,  the  soul  after  death  must 
pass  through  the  cleansing  process  of  purgator}^ 

The  Church,  however,  is  in  a  position  to  trans- 
mute, even  to  remit  altogether,  those  punishments. 


58  Luther:  The  Le;ader. 

since  she  is  in  control  of  the  treasure  of  the  super- 
meritorious  works  of  Christ  and  of  all  the  saints. 
These  remittals  were  called  indulgences.  By  paying 
a  certain  sum  of  money,  indulgence  for  hundreds, 
even  thousands,  of  years  of  suffering  in  purgatory 
could  be  obtained,  not  only  for  the  living  but  for  the 
dead  as  well. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  the 
sale  of  indulgences  had  developed  greatly,  and 
proved  to  be  a  source  of  increasing  income  to  the 
Church.  Pope  Julius  II  and  his  successor,  Leo  X, 
were  not  slow  to  embrace  this  welcome  opportunity 
to  replenish  their  coffers.  They  were  patrons  of 
the  Humanists,  lovers  of  the  arts.  They  needed  im- 
mense sums  of  money  to  build  and  adorn  the  cathe- 
dral of  St.  Peter,  then  in  process  of  construction, 
and  also  to  keep  up  the  splendor  of  their  courts.  So 
they  organized  the  sale  of  indulgences  and  placed  it 
on  regular  business  principles. 

A  large  part  of  Germany  was  assigned  to  Al- 
brecht,  Archbishop  of  Mainz.  This  prelate  was  a 
remarkable  figure  even  in  the  sixteenth  century.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two  he  was  the  highest  ecclesias- 
tical dignitary  of  Germany,  was  elector,  and  one  of 
the  most  powerful  princes.  He  was,  like  the  pope, 
an  adherent  of  the  new  learning,  a  lover  and  pro- 
tector of  the  fine  arts,  but  withal  a  spendthrift 
whose  sumptuous  court  could,  in  grandeur  and 
splendor,  vie  with  any  papal  or  imperial  court.  His 
pallium — that  is  to  say,  the  papal  appointment  to 
his  position  as  archbishop — had  cost  him  30,000 
florins,  which  amount  he  borrowed  from  the  Fug- 
gers,  the  rich  bankers  of  Augsburg,  and  since  his 


PuivUNG  Down  the;  Old.  59 

expenses  by  far  exceeded  his  income  he  was  heavily 
indebted. 

The  pope  and  the  archbishop  went  into  partner- 
ship. The  foi"mer  was  to  receive  one-half  of  the 
proceeds  of  the  "holy  negotium,"  Albrecht,  or  rather 
his  creditors,  the  other  half.  The  bargain  being 
clinched,  Albrecht  secured  the  services  of  a  Domin- 
ican monk  by  the  name  of  John  Tetzel.  He  was 
known  as  a  popular  speaker  and  a  splendid  collector, 
having  had  a  good  deal  of  experience  in  this  busi- 
ness. There  were  current  some  ugly  rumors  affect- 
ing his  moral  character,  but  that  did  not  matter. 
Tetzel  knew  his  business,  and  to  both  the  pope  and 
the  archbishop  the  sale  of  indulgences  was  a  busi- 
ness matter  pure  and  simple. 

Now  a  most  shameful  traffic  commenced.  Tet- 
zel was  a  master  in  the  art,  known  to  quacks  in  all 
times  and  places,  of  advertising  and  impressing  the 
people.  Weeks  before  he  came  to  a  city  he  re- 
quested the  resident  pastors  to  preach  on  the  benefits 
of  indulgences,  and  in  order  to  facilitate  matters  he 
supplied  them  with  sketches  and  sermons  on  the 
subject.  When  he  arrived,  the  whole  town  was  in 
a  state  of  expectancy.  He  came  as  the  special  mes- 
senger of  the  Most  Holy  Father,  bringing  deliver- 
ance and  salvation.  The  church  bells  rang,  the 
clergy,  the  magistrates,  the  school-children  met  him 
outside  the  city  walls  with  songs  and  burning  tapers 
and  flying  colors.  A  large  red  cross,  on  which  the 
papal  arms  were  emblazoned,  was  carried  at  the 
head  of  the  procession.  Next  came  the  papal  bull 
of  indulgence,  exhibited  on  a  velvet  cushion.  Then 
followed  Tetzel  and  his  companions  on  white  horses, 


6o  Luther:  The  IvEader. 

clad  in  magnificent  vestments.  "The  people  could 
not  have  received  God  Himself  with  greater  hon- 
ors," says  an  old  writer. 

The  procession  marched  through  the  principal 
streets  and  entered  the  largest  church.  The  cross 
was  placed  in  front  of  the  high  altar,  the  money- 
chest  next  to  it.  Then  followed  an  enthusiastic  ser- 
mon extolling  the  benefits  of  the  grace  to  be  pur- 
chased, and  men,  women,  and  children  crowded  up 
to  the  altar,  and  laid  down  their  precious  coins  in 
exchange  for  the  certificates  of  indulgence. 

An  agent  of  the  Fuggers  and  a  special  envoy  of 
the  pope  had  charge  of  the  money-chest.  They 
counted  the  cash,  and  saw  that  no  mistakes  were 
made.  Neither  partner  was  quite  willing  to  trust 
the  other  implicitly. 

No  street-vender  or  auctioneer  could  talk  more 
glibly  about  the  value  of  his  goods  than  did  John 
Tetzel.  Forgiveness  for  any  and  every  sin,  either 
actually  committed  or  only  contemplated,  could  be 
purchased.  The  souls  of  the  departed  ones  could 
be  redeemed  immediately.  He  knew  how  to  picture 
in  the  most  dreadful  colors  the  torments  of  purga- 
tory; he  played  upon  the  sympathy  and  the  noble 
sentiments  as  well  as  upon  the  meaner  feelings  of 
his  uncultured  hearers. 

"  So  bald  das  Geld  im  Kasten  klingt, 
Die  Seel  aus  dem  Fegfeuer  in  Himmel  springt," 

was  one  of  Tetzel's  favorite  sayings.  ("As  soon  as 
the  coin  rattles  in  the  chest,  the  soul  ascends  from 
purgatory  to  heaven.")      He  boasted  that  he  had 


Pulling  Down  the;  Old.  6i 

redeemed  more  souls  by  his  indulgences  than  St. 
Peter  had  by  his  preaching. 

The  subtle  theological  distinction  between  the 
eternal  guilt  of  sin  and  the  temporal  punishment 
was  not  understood  by  the  common  people.  The 
demand  of  contrition  of  heart  and  of  absolution  by 
the  priest  as  necessary  prerequisites  to  the  commut- 
ing of  the  temporal  or  purgatory  punishment  was 
lost  sight  of  completely.  All  that  the  people  un- 
derstood was,  that  if  you  paid  the  fixed  price  you 
could  do  what  your  heart  desired  and  go  straight  to 
heaven.  There  was  a  regular  scale  of  sins.  Per- 
jury cost  nine  ducats,  adultery  two,  witchcraft  two  * 
greater  offenses  were  rated  correspondingly  higher. 

The  vender  in  spiritual  goods  approached  Wit- 
tenberg. It  is  true,  Frederick  did  not  allow  him  to 
ply  his  trade  in  his  own  country;  not  because  he 
himself  did  not  believe  in  the  efficiency  of  indul- 
gences, but  simply  for  the  reason  that  he  hated  to 
see  his  subjects  carry  their  money  away  from  home 
and  pay  the  debts  of  his  neighbor  prince.  But  there 
was  no  law  prohibiting  the  people  to  walk  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  miles  and  buy  indulgences  in  Jiiter- 
bogk  or  Zerbst,  just  across  the  border. 

Pious  and  well-meaning  persons  became  greatly 
perturbed.  Many  of  Luther's  parishioners  asked 
his  advice.  Confirmed  sinners,  persons  of  ill-repute, 
came  to  Luther  v^hen  he  preached  against  sin  and 
vice,  and  complacently  showing  him  their  certifi- 
cates of  indulgence,  demanded  absolution.  They 
did  not  intend  to  reform ;  they  led  a  life  of  open  sin 
as  heretofore ;  but  they  had  in  their  pockets  the 
tickets  to  heaven,  paid  for  and  validated. 


62  Luther:   The)  Lb;ader. 

Luther  was  indignant.  He  knew  from  his  per- 
sonal experience  that  forgiveness  of  sins  could  not 
be  obtained  by  a  blameless  life,  much  less  by  the 
mere  payment  of  money  without  an  inward  change. 
His  study  of  the  Greek  New  Testament,  which  he 
had  begun  just  recently,  convinced  him  that  "me- 
tanoia,"  the  Greek  word  for  repentance,  was  some- 
thing altogether  different  from  the  "pcenitentia"  of 
his  Latin  Bible  and  its  definition  as  given  by  the 
scholastic  theologians.  It  meant  a  change  of  heart, 
not  the  mere  performance  of  outward  works. 

The  theologians  differed  with  reference  to  many 
details  of  the  doctrine  of  indulgence, — Luther  him- 
self had  no  clear  conception  of  the  Bible  teaching, 
but  whatever  the  Bible  or  the  Church  might  teach, 
it  certainly  was  not,  could  not  be  the  teaching  of 
Tetzel  and  his  associates.  There  was  an  urgent 
need  to  stop  the  mischievous  abuses  and  reach  clear 
and  sound  conclusions.  Luther  the  preacher  raised 
his  voice  in  the  pulpit,  and  preached  several  strong 
sermons  against  the  nuisance.  Luther  the  monk 
and  the  professor  knew  of  only  one  way  to  focus 
the  thought  of  the  theologians  on  this  point,  and 
that  was  an  invitation  to  a  public  disputation.  Hence 
the  Theses. 

Crude  as  they  may  appear  to  us,  they  contain  the 
germs  of  genuine  evangelical  doctrines,  which,  if 
left  to  expand,  must  finally  outgrow  and  overthrow 
the  whole  papal  system.  But  what  accounts  more 
for  the  sensation  caused  by  them  is  the  fact  that 
they  protested  against  the  financial  schemes  and  the 
high-handed  robbery  of  the  Italian  pope  and  his 
retinue.    There  was  in  Germany  a  strong  undercur- 


PuLUNG  Down  the;  Old.  63 

rent  of  intense  opposition  against  foreign  influence. 
Patriotic  Germans  were  filled  with  rage  when  they 
thought  of  the  streams  of  gold  flowing  into  the 
pockets  of  the  hated  Italians,  who  looked  down 
upon  the  Germans  as  upon  half  barbarians  at  best. 
Luther  struck  in  his  Theses  a  chord  which  vibrated 
in  the  soul  of  every  true  German,  whatever  his  re- 
ligious sentiments  might  be.  Although  it  was  un- 
intentional, he  appealed  strongly  to  the  national 
feeling  of  his  countrymen.  He  dared  to  say  openly 
what  many  felt  without  even  daring  to  think  it. 

"And  since  all  bishops  and  doctors  kept  silence, 
and  no  one  dared  to  tie  the  bells  to  the  cat's  tail  be- 
cause the  Dominican  heresy-hunters  had  frightened 
everybody  with  the  threat  of  fire,  they  were  glad 
that  finally  some  one  came  and  tackled  the  matter," 
reports  Luther,  with  dry  humor. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
ATTEMPTS  TO  SILENCE  THE  MONK. 

"O,  SOM^  drunken  German  has  written  them ;  as 
soon  as  he  is  sober  again  he  will  speak  differently," 
was  Pope  Leo's  remark  when  his  attention  was 
called  to  the  Theses  of  the  Wittenberg  monk. 

The  monk,  in  a  short  time,  did  speak  differently ; 
not,  however,  humbly  begging  pardon  for  his  rash 
utterances,  as  was  expected,  but  speaking  more 
boldly,  and  denouncing  unsparingly  the  unevangel- 
ical  doctrines  and  practices  which  the  papacy  had 
been  using  as  a  chain  to  hold  the  nations  in  bondage. 

At  first  the  outlook  was  not  very  promising. 
It  is  true  the  Theses  created  a  tremendous  sen- 
sation, but  they  were  not  received  favorably  in 
all  quarters.  On  the  contrary,  they  immediatel> 
called  forth  virulent  attacks.  Many  well-meaning 
people  trembled  for  their  author.  "You  speak  the 
truth,  good  brother,  but  you  will  not  accomplish 
anything.  You  had  better  go  to  your  cell  and  say, 
'Lord  have  mercy  upon  me !'  "  said  an  old  prior  in 
Hamburg,  and  these  words  expressed  the  opinion 
of  all  who  knew  the  spirit  and  the  power  of  Rome. 

Various  and  numerous  were  Luther's  opponents. 
Tetzel,  whose  cash  receipts  fell  off  perceptibly,  was 
infuriated,  and  thundered  against  him.  He  was 
backed  by  the  whole  order  of  Dominicans,  who  bore 

64 


PuLi^iNG  Down  thh;  Oi.d.  65 

an  old  grudge  against  the  Augustinians,  and,  as  it 
were,  jumped  at  the  opportunity  to  denounce  from 
their  pulpits  the  heresy  of  their  Augustinian  con- 
frater.  Older  universities  looked  enviously  upon 
their  new  rival,  and  were  not  slow  to  insinuate  that, 
at  Wittenberg,  unorthodox  and  destructive  doc- 
trines were  taught.  Professor  Wimpina,  of  Frank- 
fort, and  Professor  Eck,  of  Ingolstadt,  wrote 
pamphlets.  The  University  of  Frankfort  gave 
the  Doctor's  degree  to  Tetzel,  and  three  hun- 
dred Dominican  monks  from  all  parts  of  Ger- 
many assembled  in  honor  of  the  distinguished  mem- 
ber of  their  order,  and  arranged  a  grand  disputation, 
over  which  Dr.  Tetzel  presided.  It  was  an  open 
demonstration  against  Luther,  the  Augustinians, 
and  the  University  of  Wittenberg. 

Luther's  old  teachers,  the  venerable  Dr.  Jodo- 
cus  Truttvetter  and  Dr.  Usinger,  of  Erfurt,  who  had 
taken  offense  at  his  contempt  for  scholastic  theol- 
ogy, deplored  the  arrogance  of  the  young  man.  The 
adherents  of  the  fossilized  school  of  thought  lost 
no  time  in  pointing  out  how  dangerous  it  was  to 
leave  the  safe  old  paths.  Luther's  colleagues  were 
reluctant.  The  rector  of  the  university  and  the 
prior  of  the  convent  begged  him  not  to  bring  their 
school  and  order  into  disrepute.  His  bishop  com- 
m.anded  him  to  remain  silent  for  the  sake  of  the 
peace  of  the  Church. 

What  would  the  Elector,  the  founder  and  head 
of  the  university,  do?  And  the  pope?  From  more 
than  one  pulpit  it  was  intimated,  and  in  more  than 
one  lecture-room  it  was  publicly  announced,  that 
the  insolent  monk  would  soon  be  burned  just  as  only 
5 


66  Luther:  The  Leader. 

about  twenty  years  before  Savonarola  in  Italy  had 
been  punished  for  his  audacity. 

What  did  Luther  do? 

He  did  not  seek  notoriety.  He  shrank  from  it. 
He  simply  wanted  to  do  his  duty.  But  when  the 
conflict  came,  he  did  hot  flinch.  He  faced  his  ene- 
mies, and,  instead  of  being  intimidated  and  cowed 
into  submission,  he  grew  stronger  and  more  fear- 
less. "They  will  not  stand  it,"  said  Luther's  friend, 
the  lawyer  Schurf.  "Suppose  they  have  to  stand 
it,"  retorted  the  courageous  monk. 

Suppose  they  have  to  stand  it !  Not  by  force  of 
arms  or  political  influence,  but  because  truth  is 
mightier  than  error.  "Whatever  I  do,  I  wish  to  do, 
not  according  to  man's  pleasure,  but  according  to 
God's  will.  H  the  work  be  not  begun  in  His  name, 
it  will  soon  come  to  nought;  if  it  is  begun  in  His' 
name,  let  Him  have  His  own  way." 

He  felt  grieved  thaj;  his  former  teachers  and 
friends  accused  him  of  conceit,  but  "adherents  of 
the  old  will  always  suspect  conceit  in  every  one 
who  dares  to  propose  something  new.  They  can  not 
expect  that  I  ask  for  their  advice  and  wait  for  their 
conclusions  before  I  act,"  he  wrote  to  a  friend. 

For  the  present  he  was  mindful  of  the  bishop's 
injunction,  and  remained  quiet.  With  the  greatest 
diligence  and  thoroughness  he  investigated  anew 
the  whole  question  of  indulgences  and  Church  gov- 
ernment, and  prepared  an  elaborate  explanation  of 
his  Theses. 

The  spring  of  1518  came,  and  matters  began  to 
look  a  little  more  encouraging.  The  Elector  showed 
his  good  will  by  granting  Luther  his  protection  on 


PUI.LING  Down  the;  Oi,d.  67 

a  journey  to  Heidelberg,  where  a  general  conven- 
tion of  the  Augustinians  was  to  be  held.  His  order 
indorsed  him  by  inviting  him  to  preside  over  a  dis- 
putation in  which  his  theological  views  were  clearly 
set  forth.  The  University  of  Wittenberg,  after  wav- 
ering for  a  time,  rallied  around  him,  some  of  the 
professors  openly  avowing  his  principles.  When 
Tetzel  sent  a  box  of  his  Counter-theses  to  Witten- 
berg the  students  seized  it,  erected  a  stake,  and 
burned  every  last  copy. 

At  last  Rome  was  heard  from.  In  the  beginning 
of  August  Luther  received  the  summons  to  appear 
in  Rome  within  sixty  days,  and  answer  the  charge 
of  heresy. 

The  "drunken  German"  had  not  become  sober, 
and  it  became  necessary  for  the  pope  to  take  some 
action.  Urged  by  his  advisers,  Leo  instructed  the 
general  of  the  Augustinians  "to  pacify  that  fellow." 
Monsigniore  Prierias,  a  Dominican  of  righ  rank, 
"forsook  the  study  of  the  divine  teacher  [meaning 
Thomas  of  Aquino]  for  three  days,"  as  he  says  in 
his  Preface,  to  squelch  the  German  barbarian.  His 
pamphlet  was  a  miserably  weak  production.  Luther 
showed  his  contempt  by  publishing  the  pamphlet  to- 
gether with  his  answer,  stating  in  the  Preface  that 
it  took  him  only  two  days  to  reply  to  the  Italian.  He 
also  had  the  audacity  to  publish  a  "Sermon  on  the 
Church,"  in  which  he  asserted  that  by  excommuni- 
cation a  Christian  can  be  separated  from  the  visible 
Church,  not  from  the  communion  of  the  true 
Church  of  God  and  of  His  saints;  and  finally  he 
issued  his  "Resolutions,"  a  thorough  explanation 
and  amplification  of  his  Theses.  They  were  couched 


6s  Luthe;r:   The:  Luadeir. 

in  most  modest  language ;  the  words  of  the  dedica- 
tory epistle  are  as  submissive  as  anything  he  had 
ever  penned  before.  He  writes  to  the  pope : 
"Quicken,  kill,  call,  recall,  approve,  reprove,  as  you 
please ;  I  will  acknowledge  your  voice  as  that  of 
Christ,  presiding  and  speaking  in  you."  These 
words  were  by  no  means  sarcastic ;  they  were  an 
honest  expression  of  his  conviction  at  that  time. 

But  in  spite  of  this,  the  pamphlet  shows  a  de- 
cided advance  over  his  former  views.  The  assidu- 
ous study  of  the  Greek  New  Testament  during  the 
winter  months  had  borne  its  fruit.  His  conceptions 
were  more  mature.  He  is  also  fully  aware  that  the 
publication  of  this  tract  may  lead  to  serious  com- 
plications, but  his  closing  words  prove  that  he  is 
ready  to  stand  by  his  convictions. 

To  go  to  Rome  meant  certain  death.  Luther 
knew  this  very  well.  He  therefore  petitioned  the 
Elector  to  request  in  his  behalf  that  the  trial  be 
held  in  Germany.  An  intimate  friend  and  former 
fellow-student  of  Luther,  George  Spalatin,  who  had 
become  the  confidential  secretary  of  Elector  Fred- 
erick, was,  until  the  death  of  the  Elector,  the  faith- 
ful intermediator  between  the  Reformer  and  the 
Saxon  court.  By  his  faithfulness,  stanch  honesty, 
prudence,  and  tact,  Spalatin  had  a  firm  hold  on 
PVederick.  It  is  due  to  a  great  extent  to  the  serv- 
ices of  his  secretary  that  the  Elector  kept  his  pro- 
tecting hand  over  the  Wittenberg  professor,  whom 
he  never  in  his  life  met  in  person.  Another  ele- 
ment enters  here  into  the  course  of  Martin  Luther's 
life,  to  which  he  more  than  once  owed  at  least  tem- 
porary safety,  namely,  the  political  situation  of 
Europe. 


Pulling  Down  the  Old,  69 

The  pope  had  every  reason  to  retain  the  good 
will  of  the  powerful  Elector  and  his  friends.  The 
German  Diet  was  in  session  at  Augsburg,  and  the 
pope,  through  his  legate.  Cardinal  Thomas  Vio  de 
Gaeta,  commonly  called  Cajetan,  endeavored  to  en- 
force the  payment  of  a  heavy  tax  levied  upon  all 
Christian  countries  by  the  Lateran  Council  for  an- 
other Crusade  against  the  Turks.  Quite  a  number 
of  German  princes  objected  to  this  demand.  They 
declared  that,  in  their  opinion,  the  most  dangerous 
Turks  were,  just  then,  to  be  found  in  Italy,  and 
that  the  money  was  really  wanted  for  adorning 
Rome  with  more  magnificent  buildings. 

Again,  the  pope  desired  to  have  the  last  traces 
of  the  Bohemian  heresy  eradicated,  and  he  needed 
the  co-operation  of  the  princes  to  accomplish  this 
end.  And  last,  but  not  least,  Emperor  Maximilian 
was  an  old  man  whose  death  might  be  expected  al- 
most any  time.  Rome  was  intensely  interested  in 
the  question  who  should  be  the  next  emperor,  and 
it  was  well  understood  that  Frederick  controlled 
the  majority  of  votes  in  the  coming  Electoral  Coun- 
cil. For  all  these  reasons  it  would  have  been  im- 
prudent in  the  highest  degree  for  Rome  to  ignore 
the  wishes  of  the  Elector  of  Saxony. 

Emperor  Maximilian  was  a  political  schemer. 
He  had  no  appreciation  of  the  religious  questions  in- 
volved, but  he  considered  Luther  a  valuable  tool  to 
harass  the  pope  and  make  him  more  pliant.  "How  is 
your  monk?"  he  inquired  of  Frederick's  private 
counselor.  "Tell  your  master  to  take  good  care  of 
him ;  perchance  we  may  need  him  at  some  future 
time." 


70  Luther:   The  Leader. 

The  outcome  of  the  negotiations  between  the 
Elector  and  the  pope  was  that  Luther,  "inasmuch 
as  he  by  reason  of  his  bodily  infirmity  is  not  able  to 
undertake  the  wearisome  journey  to  Rome,"  was 
granted  a  hearing  before  the  papal  legate  at  Augs- 
burg. 

From  all  sections  of  Germany  there  came  warn- 
ings to  Luther  not  to  go  to  Augsburg.  He  was  in- 
formed of  plots  to  murder  him  on  the  way  or  to 
poison  him  in  Augsburg.  Cajetan,  it  was  averred, 
had  instructions  to  take  and  hold  him  captive  if  he 
did  not  revoke.  These  rumors  were  not  purely  at 
random.  It  was  not  known  then,  but  it  has  come 
to  light  since,  that  the  legate  was  really  in  posses- 
sion of  secret  instructions  to  arrest  "the  son  of 
wickedness"  and  his  adherents  and  send  them  to 
Rome  under  strong  guard ;  furthermore  to  threaten 
with  severe  punishments  "every  one  who  should 
dare  to  house  or  shield  or  in  any  way,  either  openly 
or  privately,  protect  or  assist  or  counsel  said  Mar- 
tin Luther." 

The  monk  obeyed  the  command  of  the  head  of 
the  Church.  He  proceeded  to  Augsburg,  It  was 
not  a  joyful  journey.  Before  his  eyes  was  the  stake. 
"Now  I  must  die,"  he  said  repeatedly,  and  ex- 
claimed, "O  the  disgrace  that  I  heap  upon  my  poor 
parents !"  In  Niirnberg  his  friend  Link  loaned  him 
a  more  respectable  hood,  and  accompanied  him. 
The  nearer  he  came  to  the  city  where  his  fate  was  to 
be  decided,  the  firmer  he  grew.  "I  am  firm,"  he 
writes.  "The  Lord's  will  be  done.  Even  in  Augs- 
burg, in  the  midst  of  his  enemies,  Christ  reigns. 
May  Christ  live  and  Martinus  die!" 


Pulling  Down  the;  Old.  71 

When  he  reached  his  destination,  in  the  month 
of  October,  the  Diet  had  adjourned.  Most  of  the 
princes,  among  them  Frederick,  had  left ;  the  em- 
peror was  absent  on  a  hunting  trip.  Luther  was 
urged  not  to  appear  before  Cajetan  unless  he  was 
in  possession  of  a  promise  of  safe  conduct  from 
the  emperor.  Several  days  elapsed  before  he  re- 
ceived it,  and  then,  on  October  12th,  he  met  the 
prelate. 

Following  the  custom  he  prostrated  himself; 
then  at  the  first  sign  of  recognition  he  kneeled,  re- 
maining upon  his  knees  until  the  cardinal  bade  him 
to  rise.  Luther  begged  forgiveness  if  he  had  taught 
01  done  anything  that  was  wrong.  Cajetan  was 
kindness  itself.  He  did  not  intend  to  dispute ;  he 
was  far  from  punishing.  There  were  only  three 
things  which  the  pope  demanded  of  his  son  the 
monk.  In  the  first  place  he  should  revoke  his  er- 
rors ;  secondly,  he  should  promise  never  to  teach 
them  again ;  and  thirdly,  he  was  in  the  future  to  re- 
frain from  anything  that  might  disturb  the  peace  of 
the  Church. 

Being  asked  to  show  him  his  errors,  Cajetan 
singled  out  two  Theses.  Luther  went  into  a  dis- 
cussion, which  the  cardinal  impatiently  closed  with 
the  words:  "You  must  revoke  to-day,  whether  you 
want  to  or  not,  or  I  shall  condemn  all  your  Theses." 

There  were  two  more  meetings.  Luther  handed 
in  his  explanation  in  writing,  but  the  last  word  of 
the  legate  remained  invariably,  "Revoke."  Finally, 
losing  all  patience,  he  cried:  "Go  away!  Revoke, 
or  do  not  come  again  before  my  eyes."  To  Staupitz 
and  Link,  who  had  a  private  interview  with  him  he 


72  Luther:   The;  LeadEr. 

remarked:  "I  do  not  want  to  have  another  talk 
with  that  beast.  He  has  deep  eyes  and  strange 
speculations  in  his  head." 

During  the  next  few  days  Luther  wrote  out  an 
appeal  "from  the  poorly  informed  pope  to  the  pope 
better  to  be  informed,"  which  he  filed  with  a  notary 
public  and  also  nailed  to  the  door  of  the  cathedral  of 
Augsburg.  He  moreover  addressed  several  letters 
to  the  legate.  No  answer  came  to  him.  His  friends 
became  alarmed,  fearing  secret  plots  on  the  part  of 
the  wily  Italian.  In  the  dead  of  night  a  small  gate 
iri  the  city  wall  was  opened,  and  the  monk  escaped. 
On  October  31st,  exactly  one  year  after  the  posting 
of  the  Theses,  he  reached  Wittenberg  in  safety. 

Cajetan  demanded  from  the  Elector  that  Luther 
should  be  sent  to  Rome  a  prisoner,  or  at  least  be 
banished  from  his  home  country.  Luther  declared 
himself  willing  to  relieve  his  prince  of  all  further 
responsibility.  He  seems  to  have  thought  of  going 
to  Paris.  But  Frederick  refused  to  comply.  He  in- 
sisted on  a  fair  trial  before  impartial  judges. 

Everybody  was  looking  now  for  the  bull  of  ex- 
communication. Luther  himself  prepared  for  the 
worst  by  posting  an  appeal  to  a  General  Council. 
But  Rome  hesitated.  The  agitation  in  Germany 
was  too  widely  spread  to  allow  of  summary  pro- 
ceedings. It  was  decided  to  make  one  more  at- 
tempt to  silence  "the  German  beast ;"  this  time  in  a 
different  way. 

The  Elector  Frederick  was  given  the  much  cov- 
eted "Golden  Rose,"  the  highest  honor  which  the 
pope  could  bestow ;  Archbishop  Albrecht  was 
created  a  cardinal,  and  a  distinguished  Saxon  noble- 


Pulling  Down  the;  Old.  73 

man,  Karl  voi?  Miltitz,  who  had  lived  in  Rome  for 
many  years — a  man  of  the  world,  highly  cultured, 
liberal,  and  withal  of  charming  manners — was  sent 
as  papal  envoy.  On  his  journey  he  noticed,  to  his 
dismay,  that  the  commotion  was  much  more  serious 
than  was  surmised  in  Rome.  "Of  every  five  per- 
sons, hardly  two  are  on  the  pope's  side,"  he  reported. 

In  January,  15 19,  he  met  Luther  at  Altenburg. 
"Well,  you  are  much  younger  than  I  thought  you 
were,"  exclaimed  Miltitz,  surprised.  "I  was  under 
the  impression  that  you  were  a  venerable  old  man." 
He  agreed  that  a  German  bishop  should  try  the  case, 
he  admitted  that  Tetzel  had  given  just  cause  for 
offense,  but  affirmed  that  the  offensive  features  of 
the  sale  of  indulgences  had  been  suspended,  and 
that  Tetzel  himself  was  silenced.  This  was  true. 
The  notorious  vender  of  indulgences  lived  in  igno- 
minious retirement  in  Leipzig.  His  ecclesiastical 
superiors  had  cast  him  ofif  when  the  storm  began, 
blaming  him  for  everything  that  they  themselves 
had  sanctioned,  or  at  least  winked  at. 

The  outcome  of  the  conference  with  Miltitz  was 
the  agreement  that  both  Luther  and  his  opponents 
were  to  refrain  from  further  discussions.  The  mat- 
ter should  be  allowed  quietly  to  "bleed  to  death." 
Luther  was  to  write  a  letter  to  the  pope,  protesting 
that  he  did  not  intend  to  do  or  say  anything  against 
the  Church,  but  that  his  only  object  was  to  lay  bare 
abuses  which  he  considered  harmful  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  Church.  He  was  to  ask  pardon  if  he 
had  used  expressions  too  harsh  or  bitter.  And 
finally  Luther  agreed  to  write  a  "sheet"  for  the  peo- 
ple, admonishing  them  to  be  faithful  to  the  Church 


74  Luthkr:   The;  Leader. 

and  to  consider  his  writings,  not*  as  polemical 
against  the  Church,  but  as  defending  and  honoring 
her. 

Miltitz  was  overjoyed  at  what  seemed  to  be  an 
amicable  settlement  of  the  difficulty.  He  kissed 
Luther,  and  sent  a  glorious  report  to  Rome.  Where 
the  cardinal  had  failed,  he  had  succeeded.  Pope 
Leo  wrote  a  conciliatory  letter  to  Luther,  in  which 
he  called  him  his  "beloved  son,"  while  only  a  short 
time  before  he  had  styled  him  a  "child  of  perdi- 
tion," "a.  son  of  the  devil."  He  expressed  his  satis- 
faction that  Luther  had  revoked  his  errors,  and  in- 
vited him  to  come  to  Rome  in  order  to  recant  pub- 
licly before  the  Holy  Father  himself. 

The  letter  was  sent  in  care  of  Miltitz;  but  the 
diplomatic  envoy  deemed  it  wise  not  to  deliver  it, 
not  even  to  make  Luther  acquainted  with  its  con- 
tents.   He  knew  the  reason  why. 

Was  the  monk  silenced?  Was  the  whole  mat- 
ter really  ended? 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  BREACH  WIDENS. 

During  those  trying  months,  full  of  excitement 
and  necessitating  incessant  studies,  Luther  did  not 
relax  in  his  work  for  the  university.    The  fame  of 
Wittenberg   now    attracted    hundreds    of    students 
from  all  parts  of  Germany.     In  1505  there  were 
only  127  students  in  attendance  ;  in  1517  the  number 
had  risen  to  233,  and  in  1520  not  less  than  579  stu- 
dents were  matriculated.     Dr.  Luther,  of  course, 
was  the  greatest  drawing  card.     His  lecture-room 
was  always  crowded.    But  there  were  other  strong 
men  in  this  little  university  town  "at  the  border  of 
civilization."     There   was,   for   instance,    Nicolaus 
von  Amsdorf,  cautious,  conservative,  an  excellent 
scholar  and  faithful  to  his  younger  colleague.  Then 
there  was  Andreas  Bodenstein  von  Karlstadt,  en- 
thusiastic, impetuous,  but  injudicious  and  easily  un- 
balanced.    In  1 518,  Philip  Melanchthon  became  a 
member  of  the  faculty,  a  youth  hardly  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  timid,  not  prepossessing  in  appear- 
ance, of  frail  constitution,  but  a  veritable  prodigy  in 
learning.      His  uncle,    the  learned  Reuchlin,  had 
recommended  him  to  the  Elector,  and  as  soon  as  he 
had  delivered  his  inaugural  lecture  the  university 
rang  with  his  praises. 

Melanchthon's  name  stands  out  most  conspicu- 

75 


76  Luther:  The;  Le;ade;r. 

ousl}',  next  to  that  of  Luther,  in  the  whole  history 
of  the  Reformation.  Luther  was  the  great  Re- 
former and  leader,  IMelanchthon  the  "teacher  of 
Germany."  The  two  men  formed  a  strong  and  last- 
ing friendship.  Different  though  they  were  in  al- 
most every  way,  they  supplemented  each  other  most 
admirably. 

Luther  realized  the  difference  in  their  disposi- 
tions. He  writes :  "I  prefer  the  books  of  Magister 
Philippus  to  my  own.  I  am  rough,  boisterous, 
stormy,  and  altogether  warlike.  I  am  born  to  fight 
against  innumerable  monsters  and  devils.  I  must 
remove  stumps  and  stones,  cut  away  thistles  and 
thorns,  and  clear  the  wild  forests.  But  Magister 
Philippus  comes  along  softly  and  gently,  sowing 
and  watering  with  joy  according  to  the  gifts  which 
God  has  abundantly  bestowed  upon  him." 

The  older  man's  appreciation  of  his  younger 
friend  and  colleague  was  never  disturbed  by  the 
slightest  feeling  of  envy.  He  fully  and  frankly 
acknowledged  Melanchthon's  superiority  in  manv 
points,  and  thanked  God  for  giving  him  a  co- 
worker and  friend  who  so  perfectly  supplied  his 
own  deficiencies. 

Besides  his  polemical  writings,  Luther  published 
in  the  year  15 19  his  Commentary  on  Galatians  and 
an  exposition  of  the  first  five  I'salms.  Seeing  the 
need  of  having  a  printing  establishment  in  Witten- 
berg, he  persuaded  a  printer  from  Leipzig,  Melchior 
Lotter,  to  establish  in  Wittenberg  a  "printing-press 
in  three  languages."  Aside  from  his  university 
work  he  contimied  to  preach  regularly. 

Luther  had  promised  that  he  would  remain  si- 


PuLUNG  Down  Tiir;  Oi,d.  77 

lent  on  the  questions  which  had  created  the  commo- 
tion, on  the  condition  that  his  opponents  would  re- 
frain from  attacking  him,  and  he  meant  to  keep  his 
word.  The  blame,  if  such  it  is,  for  carrying  on  the 
open  discussion  rests  on  his  opponent,  Professor 
Eck,  of  Ingolstadt,  and  on  his  own  friend  and  col- 
league, Karlstadt. 

The  latter  had  issued  Theses  against  Eck's 
pamphlet  before  Luther  had  gone  to  Augsburg. 
Eck  retorted,  and  challenged  the  Wittenberg  pro- 
fessor to  a  public  disputation.  After  some  prelim- 
inaries, Leipzig  was  agreed  upon  as  the  place  where 
the  disputation  was  to  be  held.  When  Eck's 
Theses,  which  were  to  be  the  basis  for  the  disputa- 
tion, appeared  in  print,  it  was  evident  that,  although 
claiming  to  dispute  with  Karlstadt,  he  in  reality  at- 
tacked Luther.  Luther  protested  in  an  open  letter, 
and  published  Theses  in  refutation  of  Eck.  He 
wrote  to  the  Elector  explaining  to  him  that  the  at- 
tack of  the  professor  from  the  University  of  Ingol- 
stadt was  directed,  not  merely  against  him  person- 
ally, but  rather  against  the  University  of  Witten- 
berg. "The  honor  of  the  university  is  at  stake.  It 
is  not  fair  to  muzzle  me  and  allow  every  one  else  to 
speak  freely."  Eck  confessed  that  he  challenged 
Karlstadt,  but  that  he  really  meant  Luther,  and  now 
extended  him  a  formal  invitation  to  take  part  in  the 
disputation. 

It  was  perfectly  clear  to  Luther,  from  the  na- 
ture of  the  Theses  set  up  for  discussion,  that  his 
previous  attacks-  upon  Roman  abuses  had  been  but 
child's  play ;  now  the  serious  part  was  to  begin. 
Following  the  method  of  Cajetan,  Eck  tried  to  draw 


78  Luther:   The   Leader. 

the  doctrines  of  the  Church  and  the  papacy  into 
the  discussion.  His  last  and  most  important  Thesis, 
directed  against  a  previous  assertion  of  Luther, 
read :  "We  deny  the  assertion  that  the  Roman 
Church  was  not  superior  to  the  other  Churches  be- 
fore the  time  of  Pope  Sylvester;  but  we  acknowl- 
edge him  who  holds  the  see  and  the  faith  of  St. 
Peter  as  the  perpetual  successor  of  St.  Peter  and  the 
general  vicar  of  Christ."  Luther's  Counter-thesis 
was:  "That  the  Roman  Church  is  superior  to  all 
others  is  proved  from  the  most  silly  decrees  of  the 
Roman  pontiffs  who  have  been  born  within  the  last 
four  hundred  years ;  against  this  assertion  is  the  ap- 
proved history  of  fifteen  hundred  years,  the  text  of 
the  Holy  Scripture,  the  decree  of  the  Council  of 
Nice,  the  most  holy  of  all  Councils." 

The  direct  results  of  the  disputation  were  unsat- 
isfactory. The  great  and  lasting  gain  was  the  clear- 
ing away  of  uncertainties  and  the  giving  up  of  un- 
tenable positions.  The  preparatory  studies  which 
carried  Luther  deep  into  the  history  of  the  papacy 
and  the  papal  decretals  led  him  at  last  to  a  com- 
plete breaking  away  from  papal  supremacy.  The 
breach  between  him  and  the  Church  became  wide 
and  deep,  and  the  disputation  at  Leipzig  served  to 
mark  this  new  position  unmistakably. 

He  was  now,  in  consequence  of  his  studies,  con- 
vinced that  only  by  means  of  the  grossest  prevarica- 
tions and  most  palpable  frauds  the  popes  had  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  their  supremacy,  that  the  su- 
preme authority  of  the  Bishop  of  Rome  over  all 
other  bishops  could  not  be  proven  by  Scripture,  nor 
by  the  Church  Fathers,  nor  by  the  Council  of  Nice ; 


PuLUNG  Down  thf,  Oi<d.  79 

that  it  was  not  established  until  about  four  hundred 
years  before  his  own  time. 

In  a  letter  to  his  friend  Lange,  a  few  weeks 
later,  he  remarks  that  he  has  no  hopes  of  convincing 
Eck,  but  the  disputation  would  give  him  an  oppor- 
tunity "to  disclose  the  fallacies  of  the  foolish  and 
wicked  bulls  of  which  Christians  have  been  need- 
lessly afraid.  They  are  full  of  lies,  although  they 
are  issued  in  the  name  of  the  Roman  Church." 

The  disputation  itself  was  held  with  all  the 
pompous  dignity  accompanying  a  great  university 
function. 

Dr.  Eck,  shrewd  and  knowing  how  to  create  a 
favorable  impression,  arrived  some  days  before  the 
beginning.     He  took  up  quarters  with  the  burgo- 
master, read  mass  in  church,  took  a  prominent  part 
in  a  procession,  called  on  the  professors,  and  took 
pains  to  make  himself  seen  and  heard.     His  oppo- 
nents arrived  on  the  day  before  the  date  agreed 
upon.     Karlstadt  occupied  the  first  carriage.     He 
was  in  form,  and  considered  himself  in  fact  the 
principal,  since  his  name  was  the  only  one  men- 
tioned in  Prince  George's  letter  of  safe  conduct, 
Luther  being  included  among  the  "companions  and 
assistants."     Two  hundred  students  from  Witten- 
berg, clad  in  their  picturesque  costumes,  armed  with 
spears  and  halberds,  escorted  their  professors.    The 
streets  of  Leipzig  were  filled  with  curious  citizens 
and  visitors. 

On  June  27th  the  formal  opening  of  the  great 
event  was  celebrated  by  long  and  elaborate  services 
hi  the  largest  church  of  the  city,  and  by  an  address 
of  welcome  by  the  rector  of  the  university.     The 


8o  Luther:   The;  Leadivr, 

faculty  of  the  University  of  Leipzig,  the  ducal  court, 
the  invited  guests  and  other  visitors,  fell  in  line  and 
marched  in  procession  towards  the  Pleissenburg, 
Duke  George's  Leipzig  castle,  where  an  honorary 
guard  of  citizens  in  full  uniform  and  arms  received 
them  with  beating  drums  and  flying  colors. 

The  duke  had  set  apart  his  large  reception  hall 
for  the  disputation.  Two  desks  had  been  placed  op- 
posite each  other  for  the  use  of  the  contestants. 
One  end  of  the  hall  was  reserved  for  the  duke  and 
his  court ;  the  other  was  filled  with  benches  for  the 
guests.  Another  long  address  on  the  art  of  disput- 
ing was  delivered  by  one  of  the  Leipzig  professors, 
the  conditions  of  the  disputation  were  signed,  a 
hymn  was  sung,  and  then  the  meeting  adjourned 
for  dinner. 

For  a  whole  week  Drs.  Eck  and  Karlstadt  dis- 
puted on  the  freedom  of  the  will.  It  was  a  weary- 
some  waste  of  words.  Karlstadt  was  embarrassed 
from  the  beginning.  His  manner  was  uncouth,  his 
voice  husky.  Not  trusting  his  memory,  he  read 
citation  after  citation  from  the  bulky  volumes  which 
his  assistants  carried  to  his  desk.  Eck  appeared 
perfectly  at  ease.  He  was  prepossessing  and  well 
versed  in  the  art  of  playing  to  the  gallery.  He  had 
a  ready  command  of  language,  a  well-stored  mem- 
ory, and  a  quick  wit.  Without  the  help  of  notes, 
and  without  any  apparent  effort,  he  quoted  from 
the  Church  Fathers,  the  bulls,  and  the  decretals. 
Very  often  his  quotations  were  purely  invented, 
made  up  for  the  moment,  or  their  sense  was  twisted  ; 
but  they  served  their  purpose.  Unreliable  and 
superficial  though  he  was,  the  awkward  Wittenberg 


PuLUNG  Down  the:  Old.  8i 

professor  proved  no  match  for  him.  Thus  the  days 
dragged  on;  the  audience  grew  restless  or  went  to 
sleep.  Several  of  the  learned  Doctors,  who  were  in 
duty  bound  to  attend  all  the  sessions,  were  in  the 
habit  of  sleeping  peacefully,  and  had  to  be  awakened 
at  the  hour  of  adjournment. 

At  last,  on  Monday,  July  4th,  Luther  ascended 
the  desk.  During  his  stay  he  had  been  shown  scant 
courtesies.  While  Eck  was  invited  and  feasted, 
Luther  was  left  to  himself.  Once  or  twice  the  duke 
asked  him  to  dine  in  the  castle,  to  save  appearances. 
When  the  Duke  of  Pomerania,  who  was  an  inter- 
ested visitor,  requested  Luther  to  preach,  he  found 
every  church  in  Leipzig  closed  to  him  except  the 
castle  chapel,  and,  this  being  too  small,  he  had  to 
preach  in  the  disputation  hall,  an  unconsecrated 
place.  Dr.  Eck  preached  in  every  church  by  special 
invitation.  One  day,  when  Luther  entered  a  church, 
the  Dominican  monks,  who  were  reading  mass,  hur- 
riedly took  the  holy  vessels  away  lest  they  be  de- 
filed by  the  presence  of  the  heretic. 

But  on  that  Monday  the  disputation  hall  which 
had  looked  quite  empty  for  the  last  few  days  was 
crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity. 

We  have  a  full  description  of  Luther  by  Peter 
Mosellanus,  one  of  the  most  renowned  Latinists  of 
the  day.  "He  is  of  middle  stature,"  so  Mosellanus 
writes;  "his  body  thin  and  so  wasted  by  care  and 
study  that  nearly  all  his  bones  may  be  counted.  He 
is  in  the  prime  of  life.  His  voice  is  clear  and  melo- 
dious. His  learning  and  his  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures  are  so  extraordinary  that  he  has  nearly 
everything  at  his  finger's  ends.  Greek  and  Hebrew 
6 


82  Luther:   The;  Lkadijr. 

he  understands  sufficiently  well  to  give  his  judgment 
on  interpretations.  I"or  conversation  he  has  a  rich 
store  of  subjects  at  his  command;  a  vast  forest  of 
thoughts  and  words  is  at  his  disposal.  He  is  polite 
and  clever.  There  is  nothing  stoical,  nothing  super- 
cilious about  him,  and  he  understands  how  to  adapt 
himself  to  different  persons  and  surroundings.  He 
is  always  lively,  cheerful,  and  at  his  ease,  and  has  a 
pleasant  countenance,  however  hard  his  enemies 
may  threaten  him,  so  that  one  can  not  but  believe 
that  Heaven  is  with  him  in  his  great  undertaking." 

Not  everybody  thought  so  favorably  of  Luther. 
When  he  was  seen  stepping  up  to  the  desk  with  a 
bouquet  of  flowers  in  his  hands,  which  he  frequently 
held  up  to  his  face,  some  imagined  that  diabolical 
powers  were  hidden  in  the  odor  of  the  flowers,  and 
a  silver  ring  worn  by  him  on  one  of  his  fingers  was 
thought  to  be  the  temporary  abode  of  his  Satanic 
Majesty  himself. 

For  five  full  days  Eck  and  Luther  discussed  the 
important  question  of  the  thirteenth  Thesis ;  viz., 
the  supremacy  of  the  pope  and  the  Roman  Church. 
Luther  admitted  that  it  was  necessary  for  the 
Church  to  have  a  head,  but  claimed  that  this  head 
was  Christ.  He  recognized  the  pope  as  the  head  of 
the  visible  Church,  but  denied  that  he  was  such  b) 
virtue  of  Divine  appointment.  The  pope  attained 
his  position  as  supreme  head  in  the  course  of  the 
human  history  of  the  Church,  but  the  Church  can 
exist  independent  of  the  pope  or  his  cardinals. 

Eck  was  not  slow  to  draw  the  logical  inferences 
of  this  assertion.  If  it  be  correct,  th'en  adherence 
to  the  Roman  Church  was  not  necessary  to  salva- 


PuiviviNG  Down  the  Oi,d.  83 

tion.  "Quite  true,"  admitted  Luther.  But  this  doc- 
trine was  "Bohemian  poison."  The  Council  of  Con- 
stance, which  had  condemned  John  Huss,  had  posi- 
tively affirmed  the  Divine  origin  of  the  papacy. 

"I  beg"  the  pardon  of  the  venerable  Father,"  said 
Eck,  with  blandest  courtesy;  "I  beg  pardon,  if  I 
seem  severe  towards  the  Bohemians  as  enemies  of 
the  Church,  and  if  in  the  present  disputation  I  am 
reminded  of  them ;  but  the  declarations  of  the  ven- 
erable Father — namely,  that  the  primacy  of  the 
Roman  Church  is  established  by  human  law — in 
my  insignificant  judgment,  favors  very  much  their 
errors." 

And  now  Luther  said  what  proved  to  be  the 
most  decisive  and  far-reaching  words  of  the  whole 
disputation :  "It  is  certain  that  among  the  articles 
of  John  Huss  there  are  some  genuinely  Christian 
and  evangelical ;  as,  for  instance,  the  article  that 
there  is  but  one  universal  Church.  It  does  not  mat- 
ter whether  Huss  or  Wiclif  has  taught  this  truth. 
It  can  not  be  condemned.  No  Christian  can  be  com- 
pelled to  hold  any  doctrine  which  is  not  contained 
in  Holy  Scriptures." 

"The  plague  on  it !"  exclaimed  Duke  George,  in- 
dignantly. The  whole  audience  was  thunderstruck ; 
Luther's  opponents  laughed  in  their  sleeves;  his 
friends  looked  alarmed. 

To  appreciate  the  boldness  of  Luther's  assertion 
then  and  there,  we  must  keep  in  mind  that  the  Uni- 
versity of  Leipzig  was  founded  for  the  express  pur- 
pose to  counteract  the  Bohemian  heresies ;  that  the 
Bohemians  had  once  and  again  carried  war  and 
destruction  into  the  Saxon  lands;  that  in  the  au- 


84  Luthkr:   Thr   Livadkr. 

dience  there  were  not  a  few  whose  fathers  had 
fallen  in  the  wars  against  the  Hussites,  whose  child- 
hood homes  had  been  sacked  and  burned.  To  have 
defended  Saxony  against  the  Bohemians  was  the 
glory  of  the  Saxon  nobility.  Those  noblemen  did, 
of  course,  not  know  what  John  Huss  had  actually 
taught,  but  to  all  of  them  he  was  the  very  arch- 
enemy of  the  Church  and  of  Christianity.  And  this 
monk  had  the  impudence  to  affirm  in  their  presence 
that  some  of  his  doctrines  were  good  and  evangel- 
ical! 

Eck  saw  his  advantage  at  once. 

"But  now,  Reverend  Father,  the  cursed  Hussites 
will  say.  If  the  Council  has  erred  in  condemning 
some  points,  it  may  have  erred  in  others  likewise. 
Its  authority  is  not  valid.  Who  shall  decide  wliat 
is  heresy  if  not  a  Council?" 

Luther's  final  answer  was  short  and  clear.  Only 
the  Bible  is  infallible.  Councils  may  err,  and  have 
erred. 

"Reverend  Father,"  was  Eck's  courteous  but 
cold  and  triumphant  reply,  "if  you  hold  that  a  law- 
ful Council  representing  the  Holy  Catholic  Church 
can  err,  I  must  consider  you  a  heathen  and  a  pub- 
lican." 

This  was  the  climax  of  the  disputation.  The 
remainder  was  comparatively  of  little  interest.  The 
squabble  which  followed  as  to  who  was  the  victor, 
is  of  no  importance  to  us.  The  great  gain  for 
Luther  was  that  he  had  completely  broken  away 
from  Rome  by  refusing  to  acknowledge  any  human 
authority  whatever.  This  marks  the  beginning  of 
a  new  period  in  his  theological  development. 


Pulling  Down  the;  Old.  85 

From  the  monk  who  sold  the  indulgences  he  had 
appealed  to  the  scholars  and  the  bishops ;  from  the 
bishops  and  the  cardinal  to  the  pope  himself ;  from 
the  pope  to  a  General  Council ;  and  now  he  appeals 
from  the  Council  to  the  Bible.  He  recognizes  as 
court  of  final  appeal  no  ecclesiastical  authority,  no 
human  voice,  nothing  but  the  Word  of  God. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
LUTHER'S  APPEAL  TO  THE   NATION. 

During  the  month  of  June  in  the  year  1520  two 
very  important  documents  were  being  written.  Be- 
yond the  Alps,  in  the  Holy  City,  Roman  politicians 
and  theologians  were  forging  the  weapon  which 
was  to  cut  to  the  quick  and  annihilate  the  rebellious 
monk;  they  were  framing  the  bull  of  excommuni- 
cation; and  in  his  cell  in  the  Wittenberg  cloister 
that  same  monk,  with  his  heart  aflame,  his  zeal 
aglow,  his  indignation  at  fever-heat,  was  preparing 
the  fuse  and  applied  the  spark  that  set  a  whole  na- 
tion afire :  Martin  Luther  was  composing  his 
famous  "Address  to  the  German  Nobility." 

With  this  treatise  he  entered  upon  the  wider 
field  of  social  and  national  reform.  He  compelled 
the  proud  scholars  and  the  haughty  knights  who, 
like  Ulrich  von  Hutten,  looked  upon  the  whole  af- 
fair as  "a  quarrel  between  hotheaded  monks  who 
are  shouting  and  screaming  at  each  other,"  and 
wished  that  "they  would  devour  each  other,"  to 
listen  to  his  stirring  appeal.  He  became  the  mouth- 
piece, the  prophet  of  all  those  who  were  sighing 
under  the  yoke  of  foreign  tyranny  and  yearning  for 
national  and  social  liberty. 

Luther  did  not  shift  his  position.  His  motives 
were  from  the  beginning  purely  religious,  and  they 

86 


PuivUNG  Down  the;  Oi-d.  87 

remained  the  same  to  the  end  of  his  Hfe.  His  strug- 
gle with  Rome  grew  out  of  his  personal  experience. 
But  the  deeper  he  penetrated  the  questions  involved, 
the  clearer  he  perceived  that  Rome  ruled,  not  only 
over  the  beliefs  of  the  Church  and  over  the  con- 
sciences of  the  believers,  but  that  she  also  had  an 
iron  grip  on  the  whole  political  and  social  life  of 
the  nation.  Rome  was  not  merely  a  Church,  Rome 
was  a  world  power.  When  the  Wittenberg  monk 
published  his  Ninety-five  Theses  they  were  greeted 
by  many  as  a  cry  for  freedom. 

Luther  appealed  to  the  patriotism  of  the  German 
nobility,  not  because  he  was  afraid  that  mere  re- 
ligious opposition  was  lacking  in  strength,  but  be- 
cause he  saw  very  clearly  that  true  religion  and 
true  patriotism  are  inseparably  connected.  He  who 
wants  to  be  right  with  God,  must  likewise  be  right 
with  the  best  and  highest  duties  of  his  nation.  A 
man's  religion  must  permeate  his  social  and  polit- 
ical aspirations,  and  must  constrain  him  to  do  his 
utmost  for  the  betterment  and  uplifting  of  his  peo- 
ple. The  religious  life  in  its  origin  is  individualistic, 
in  its  efl:ects  it  touches  the  social  relations  of  man. 
Mere  national  or  philanthropic  movements  which 
lack  the  inspiration  of  religious  motives  may  be 
efifervescent,  but  they  are  transitory.  Coupled  with 
soul-stirring  religious  convictions  they  are  product- 
ive of  lasting  results. 

Broadly  speaking,  there  were  three  currents  of 
opposition  against  Rome. 

The  Hussite  or  Taborite  movement  had  long  be- 
fore spent  its  force  as  a  religious  reformation,  but 
its  social  ideas  and  aspirations  were  still  spreading 


88  Luthe;r:   The   Leader. 

among  the  common  people.  The  closing  decades  cf 
the  fifteenth  and  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
turies witnessed  a  number  of  social  revolts  which 
occurred  in  various  parts  of  Europe,  and  most  of 
which  can  be  traced  back  to  Bohemian  influences. 
There  were  among  the  peasants  bitter  complaints  of 
their  misery  and  degradation,  on  which  every  day 
the  light  of  the  sun  was  shining,  and  which  every 
night  was  covered  by  the  darkness,  but  of  which  no 
end  could  be  seen.  The  Hussites  and  all  who  were 
influenced  by  them  were  heretics  religiously  and 
revolutionists  socially ;  Rome  persecuted  them,  and 
they  in  turn  secretly  opposed  Rome. 

Among  the  opponents  of  Rome,  to  a  certain  de- 
gree at  least,  must  be  counted  also  the  Humanists. 
Some  of  them  were  wealthy  patricians,  as,  for  in- 
stance, Willibald  Pirkheimer,  Lazarus  Spengler, 
and  others ;  some  were  poor  scholars  living  in  hum- 
ble circumstances,  often  erratic,  even  immoral,  but 
all  of  them  fighting  Roman  superstition  and  bigotry 
with  the  weapons  of  satire  and  cold  though  polite 
contempt,  borrowed  from  the  great  classic  satirists 
of  the  later  Latin  period. 

Luther  was  not  impressed  with  their  methods 
nor  with  their  spirit.  They  disclosed  the  many  de- 
fects without  mercy,  they  poured  out  the  vials  of 
scorn  and  satire,  but  they  offered  no  remedies.  "He 
is  very  capable  of  exposing  error,  but  he  knows 
not  how  to  teach  truth,"  said  Luther  of  one  of  them. 
The  tenor  of  their  writings  was  light.  They  really 
wrote  mainly  for  their  own  amusement  and  in  order 
to  vex  the  ecclesiastics,  but  they  lacked  moral  ear- 
nestness.   They  were  not  imbued  with  the  spirit  of 


Pulling  Down  the;  Old.  89 

compassion  for  the  deluded  people  and  the  desire 
to  lift  them  np.  Luther  was  personally  acquainted 
with  some  of  the  leaders  of  this  class  of  writers. 
He  had  freely  associated  with  them  in  his  Erfurt 
days.  But  when  the  "Epistol^e  Obscurorum  Viro- 
rum"  appeared,  the  greatest  satire  of  the  age,  in 
which  the  follies,  ignorance,  stupidity,  and  deprav- 
ity of  the  monks  were  held  up  to  ridicule,  he  was 
grieved.  He  himself  could  ma^  use  of  satire  as 
few  of  his  contemporaries,  but  he  always  had  an 
ulterior  end  in  view.  He  never  used  satire  simply 
in  order  to  make  people  laugh. 

The  older  Humanists,  like  Reuchlin  and  Eras- 
mus, served  above  all  the  cause  of  learning.  In 
the  school  of  bitter  experience  they  had  learned  to 
be  cautious.  They  anxiously  calculated  the  results 
which  each  step  might  have  upon  their  standing 
and  reputation.  They  were  glad  if  the  Church  left 
them  undisturbed.  The  greater  the  agitation  be- 
came which  Luther's  writings  created,  the  more 
anxious  they  were  to  keep  aloof  from  him  lest  their 
cause  might  be  identified  with  his  and  be  swept  away 
in  the  storm  which  threatened  to  break  forth.  Said 
Erasmus  with  reference  to  the  Reformer:  "Those 
who  bring  the  sea  into  new  beds,  often  attempt  a 
work  that  disappoints  their  expectations ;  for  the 
terrible  element,  once  let  in,  does  not  go  where  they 
would  wish  it,  but  whithersoever  it  pleases,  and  is 
apt  to  cause  utter  devastation."  Thus  while  not 
directly  opposing  Luther,  they  did  not  lend  him 
their  unqualified  assistance.  They  represented  that 
class  of  timid  scholars  who  live  for  their  learned 


90  Luther:  The  Leader. 

studies ;  Luther  was  the  man  of  action,  of  resohi- 
tion  and  of  courage. 

The  younger  Humanists  welcomed  the  bold 
monk  as  a  co-worker.  The  more  serious  wing  of 
their  army,  represented  by  Melanchthon,  was  in- 
fluenced by  Luther's  moral  and  religious  earnest- 
ness; even  the  more  frivolous  could  not  but  per- 
ceive the  force  of  his  position. 

It  was  among  the  knights  that  this  longing  for 
freedom  from  Rome  found  its  strongest  expression. 
There  were  numerous  causes  for  dissatisfaction. 
The  knights  noticed  with  misgivings  the  growing 
wealth  of  convents  and  ecclesiastical  orders.  The 
property  held  by  the  Church  being  exempt  from 
taxes,  their  own  possessions  became  overburdened. 
Moreover,  the  rapid  development  of  commerce  was 
detrimental  to  their  interests ;  the  changes  in  the 
mode  of  warfare  had  lessened  the  importance  of 
their  own  order ;  they  were  indignant  over  the 
schemes  by  which  Rome  endeavored  to  accomplish 
the  election  of  King  Francis  of  France  as  German 
emperor;  they  saw  that  the  political  tendencies  of 
Roman  hierarchy  were  anything  but  favorable  to 
the  development  of  Germany.  These  men  felt  most 
keenly  the  humiliating  position  the  German  nation 
was  forced  to  occupy.  Selfish  and  patriotic  motives, 
apprehension  of  the  precariousness  of  their  private 
estates  and  positions,  and  dissatisfaction  with  the 
political  situation,  combined  to  make  them  restless, 
and  they  attributed  all  their  troubles  to  the  foreign 
rulers  of  the  Church. 

They  were  not  interested  in  theological  ques- 
tions, but  were  ever  ready  to  strike  a  blow  with  their 


PuLUNG  Down  the  Old.  91 

arms.  Under  the  leadership  of  the  valiant  Franz 
von  Sickingen  and  the  versatile  scholar  and  knight, 
Ulrich  von  Hutten,  they  formed  a  political  party 
of  no  mean  importance.  Even  princes  and  high 
ecclesiastical  dignitaries  favored  any  movement  that 
tended  toward  independence  from  Rome.  It  ap- 
pears that  no  less  a  personage  than  Albrecht  of 
Mainz  was,  at  first,  not  adverse  to  Hutten  and 
Luther.  He  kept  the  former  at  his  court,  and  did 
not  molest  the  latter,  hoping,  perhaps,  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  an  independent  national  Church,  of 
which  he  expected  to  be  the  head. 

Those  various  currents  finally  met.  Social  re- 
formers, Humanists,  and  knights  were  influenced  by 
Luther's  religious  fervor ;  Luther  was  moved  by 
the  patriotism,  especially  of  the  knights.  The  monk 
discovered  a  new  world  outside  of  the  cloister  walls. 
The  line  of  demarcation  which  the  Church  had 
drawn  between  things  spiritual  and  things  temporal 
was  growing  faint,  and  finally  disappeared  alto- 
gether. 

The  leaders  of  the  nobility  ofifered  Luther  their 
protection.  Sickingen  invited  him  to  his  castle  as  a 
place  of  safety.  They  were  ready  at  a  moment's 
notice  to  take  up  arms.  Luther  was  pleased,  but  he 
remained  cool.  "I  do  not  despise  their  protection, 
but  I  shall  rely  on  Christ  and  on  Him  alone.  .  .  . 
I  would  not  have  the  Gospel  defended  by  violence 
and  murder,"  he  writes. 

In  August,  1520,  the  "Address  to  the  German 
Nobility"  appeared.  It  was  an  unsparing  arraign- 
m.ent  of  the  Roman  abuses  and  a  ringing  appeal  to 
the  nobility  of  the  German  nation  to  take  in  hand 


92  Luthdr:   The  LiCade^r. 

the  Reformation  of  Christianity  since  the  clergy 
had  become  unmindful  of  its  duty. 

"The  time  for  silence  is  passed,  the  time  for 
speaking  has  come,"  he  commences.  "The  popes 
have  built  three  strong  walls  which  are  obstacles  to 
any  true  Reformation.  In  the  first  place,  if  you 
mention  temporal  power,  they  claim  that  temporal 
power  has  no  authority  over  them,  since  spiritual 
power  is  higher  than  temporal  power ;  secondly,  if 
you  refer  to  the  Scriptures,  they  answer  that  no  one 
can  by  right  interpret  the  Scriptures  save  the  pope ; 
and  in  the  third  instance,  if  you  mention  a  General 
Council,  they  feign  that  the  pope  has  the  sole  right 
to  call  a  General  Council.  Now,  may  God  help  us 
and  give  us  one  of  the  trumpets  with  which  the 
walls  of  Jericho  were  overthrown,  so  that  we  can 
blow  down  these  walls  of  straw  and  paper." 

In  the  first  part  of  this  treatise,  which  the  his- 
torian Ranke  calls  "a  few  sheets  of  world  historical 
contents  preparing  and  prophesying  future  devel- 
opments," he  lays  the  theological  foundation  by 
elaborating  the  fundamental  thought  of  the  univer- 
sal priesthood  of  believers.  Then  he  enters  upon  a 
discussion  of  the  most  flagrant  national  defects  and 
their  cures.  He  maintains  that  the  secular  govern- 
ment not  only  is  independent  of  the  ecclesiastical, 
but  has  jurisdiction  also  over  the  ecclesiastical 
members  of  the  community.  The  idea  of  a  separa- 
tion of  Church  and  State  is  altogether  foreign  to 
Luther,  as  we  shall  see  later  on ;  but  he  strongly  re- 
futes the  superiority  of  the  ecclesiastical  power, 
and  demands  a  German  national  government  inde- 
pendent of  a  foreign  power. 


PuT.TjNG  Down  the;  Oi,d.  93 

Here  are  some  of  his  notable  passages : 
"There  is  no  difference  among  Christians  save 
of  office  alone.  We  all  are  Christians  by  a  higher 
consecration  than  pope  or  bishop  can  give.  The 
bishop's  consecration  is  just  as  if,  in  the  name  of 
the  whole  congregation,  he  took  one  member  out  of 
the  community,  each  member  of  which  has  equal 
power,  and  commanded  him  to  exercise  this  power 
for  the  rest ;  in  the  same  way  as  if  ten  brothers,  co- 
heirs as  king's  sons,  were  to  choose  one  from  among 
them  to  rule  over  their  inheritance ;  they  would  aU 
of  them  still  remain  kings  and  have  equal  power  al- 
tliough  one  is  ordered  to  govern.  If  a  little  com- 
pany of  Christian  laymen  were  taken  prisoners  and 
carried  away  to  a  desert,  and  had  not  among  them 
a  priest  consecrated  by  a  bishop,  and  were  there  to 
agree  to  elect  one  of  them,  married  or  unmarried, 
and  were  to  order  him  to  baptize,  to  celebrate  the 
mass,  to  absolve,  and  to  preach,  this  man  would  be 
as  truly  a  priest  as  if  all  the  bishops  and  all  the 
popes  had  consecrated  him.  A  priest,  therefore, 
should  be  nothing  in  Christendom  but  an  official; 
as  long  as  he  holds  his  office  he  has  precedence  over 
others ;  if  he  be  deprived  of  it,  he  is  a  peasant  and 
citizen  like  the  rest.  A  cobbler,  a  smith,  a  peasant, 
every  man  has  the  office  and  function  of  his  calling, 
and  yet  all  alike  are  consecrated  priests  and  bishops, 
and  every  man  in  his  work  must  be  useful  and  bene- 
ficial to  the  rest." 

"To  say  that  the  temporal  authority,  being  in- 
ferior to  the  clergy,  dare  not  punish  them,  is  as 
though  one  were  to  say,  the  hand  may  not  help 
when  the  eye  is  suffering.     Inasmuch  as  the  tern- 


94  Luther:  The;  Leader. 

poral  power  has  been  ordained  of  God  for  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  bad  and  the  protection  of  the  good, 
we  must  let  it  do  its  duty  throughout  the  whole 
Christian  body  without  respect  of  persons,  whether 
it  strike  popes,  bishops,  priests,  or  nuns.  If  a  priest 
is  killed,  the  country  is  laid  under  an  interdict. 
Why  not,  also,  if  a  peasant  is  killed  ?" 

"They  must  acknowledge  that  there  are  pious 
Christians  among  us,  that  have  the  true  faith,  spirit, 
understanding,  and  mind  of  Christ;  why,  then, 
should  we  reject  their  word  and  understanding,  and 
follow  a  pope  who  has  neither  understanding  nor 
spirit?  Balaam's  ass  was  wiser  than  the  prophet. 
If  God  spake  by  an  ass  against  a  prophet,  why 
should  He  not  speak  by  a  pious  man  against  the 
pope  ?" 

In  a  few  days  four  thousand  copies  of  the 
pamphlet  were  sold,  something  unheard  of  in  those 
times.  It  was  printed  again  in  Wittenberg,  and 
also  in  Strassburg  and  Leipzig. 

Within  a  few  weeks  it  was  followed  by  his 
treatise  on  the  "Babylonian  Captivity  of  the 
Church."  Being  intended  for  theologians  it  was 
written  in  Latin,  but  was  immediately  translated 
and  also  widely  circulated.  This  pamphlet  was  the 
severest  blow  which  Luther  had  yet  dealt  against 
all  pretensions  of  the  Roman  Church.  It  stands 
without  parallel  in  the  whole  history,  and  is  really 
the  boldest  step  which  the  Reformer  had  taken  up 
to  this  time.  In  cold  blood  he  made  up  his  mind 
not  only  to  assail  flagrant  wrongs  and  open  abuses, 
but  to  overthrow  the  very  foundations  of  a  world 
power. 


PuLiJNG  Down  the  Old.  95 

He  opens  in  an  ironical  tone,  confessing  his  ob- 
ligation to  his  opponents  for  compelling  him  to  study 
the  history  of  the  papacy  more  thoroughly  and  to 
see  the  present  needs  of  the  Church  more  clearly. 
While  formerly  he  considered  indulgences  permis- 
sible, he  is  now  convinced  that  they  are  a  worthless 
invention  of  the  Romanists.  While  he  had  granted 
at  least  human  origin  and  privileges  to  the  papacy, 
he  now  has  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  reign  of 
the  pope  is  nothing  but  "the  kingdom  of  Babylon 
and  the  dominion  of  Nimrod  the  mighty  hunter." 
The  popes  have  perverted  the  sacraments  instituted 
by  Christ,  and,  by  establishing  new  sacraments 
which  are  not  founded  upon  the  Bible,  they  hold 
the  Church  captive.  Christ's  intention  in  giving  the 
sacraments  to  the  Church  was  to  grant  to  his  chil- 
dren tokens  of  their  freedom ;  "they  were  intended 
to  be  the  seals  to  our  titles  as  free  children  of  God : 
the  pope  uses  them  to  keep  us  in  bondage  from 
birth  to  death.  The  seven  sacraments  are  the  seven 
rings  in  the  chain  which  yoke  us  to  the  Roman 
priesthood." 

This  is  the  leading  thought  of  the  little  book 
which  might  be  called  the  proclamation  of  a  new 
order  of  things.  The  whole  mediaeval  life  was  based 
upon  the  idea  that  the  Church,  with  her  means  of 
grace,  was  the  only  power  that  could  bring  men  to 
heaven,  and  on  this  foundation  the  immense  struc- 
ture of  ecclesiasticism,  in  fact  the  whole  social  or- 
der, had  been  reared.  Luther  knocks  out  one  stone 
after  the  other  from  this  foundation,  the  whole  edi- 
fice crumbles  down,  and  the  foundation  on  which 
modern  evangelical  Christianity  rests  is  proclaimed 


g6  IvUThe;r  :   Thk   TvI;ade;r. 

by  him ;  viz.,  every  one  can  be  saved  by  becoming 
united  in  faith  to  the  hving  Christ.  This  is  the 
individuahstic  keynote  of  modern  Christianity. 

The  confessor  of  the  emperor  witnesses  to  the 
marvelous  impression  the  book  made  by  teUing  that 
while  reading  it,  he  felt  as  if  some  one  lashed  him 
from  head  to  foot.  Of  course  it  did  not  remain  un- 
challenged. A  Dominican  friar  in  Rome  wrote  a 
virulent  refutation,  the  University  of  Paris  passed 
judgment  on  it,  and  King  Henry  VIII  of  England 
published  a  book  against  it  which  earned  him  the 
title  of  "Defender  of  the  Faith." 

When  timid  friends  argued  that  the  logical  con- 
sequences of  his  opinions  would  overthrow  the  tra- 
ditions of  many  centuries,  Luther's  answer  was : 
"What  do  I  care  for  that  which  has  been  custom- 
ary ?    The  Word  of  God  must  take  the  precedence." 

One  more  pamphlet  must  be  mentioned  in  this 
connection.  It  is  not  polemical  or  political ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  a  purely  devotional  book,  touching 
exclusively  questions  relating  to  the  inner  spiritual 
life.  It  is,  however,  closely  connected  with  the  two 
preceding  treatises,  the  three  constituting  the  great 
and  comprehensive  platform  of  the  Reformation  of 
the  sixteenth  century. 

The  "Freedom  of  the  Christian"  defines  with 
great  clearness  and  exquisite  tenderness  the  posi- 
tion of  the  child  of  God  as  a  most  free  lord  over  all 
things'  and  subject  to  no  one,  but  at  the  same  time 
as  a  ministering  servant  and  subject  to  every  one. 
He  is  free  from  all  legal  obligations  through  faith, 
but  a  debtor  to  all  mankind  throug-h  love.    Througfh 


Pui,i.iNG  Down  the;  Oi.d.  97 

faith  he  reaches  upward  to  God,  through  love  down- 
ward to  his  neighbor. 

Says  the  renowned  Luther  biographer,  Dr.  Kost- 
hn :  ''These  three  treatises  taken  together  are  the 
chief  reformatory  writings  of  Luther.  In  the  first 
one  Luther  calls  Christendom  in  general  to  the  bat- 
tle against  the  outward  abuses  and  pretensions  of 
the  pope  and  of  the  class  that  boasted  of  being  the 
only  one  possessing  a  spiritual  and  priestly  charac- 
ter; in  the  second  he  exposes  and  also  breaks  the 
spiritual  bond  whereby  this  class,  through  the  so- 
called  means  of  grace,  kept  souls  in  bondage ;  while 
in  the  third  he  reaches  the  most  profound  and  im- 
portant question  pertaining  to  the  relation  of  the 
Christian  soul  to  its  God  and  Redeemer,  and  the 
way  and  nature  of  salvation.  Here  he  lays  ex- 
plicitly and  firmly  the  strong  foundations  on  which 
the  Christian  may  build  his  life  and  character,  and 
which  no  spiritual  tyranny  can  rob  him  of." 

It  was  a  long  way  which  Alartin  Luther  had 
traveled  in  those  three  short  years. 


CHAPTER  X. 
THE  BULL  OF  EXCOMMUNICATION. 

On  June  15,  1520,  in  the  midst  of  frivolous  and 
dissolute  festivities,  His  Holiness,  Pope  Leo  X, 
found  time  to  sign  the  bull  which,  in  course  of  time, 
caused  the  greatest  schism  that  the  Church  had  seen 
since  the  Arian  secession.  The  bull  was  the  joint 
product  of  Eck,  Prierias,  Cajetan,  and  a  number 
of  other  Roman  theologians  and  politicians,  and  it 
took  these  learned  and  shrewd  diplomats  three 
months  before  they  were  able  to  read  the  first  draft 
in  the  papal  consistory,  and  two  more  months  to 
polish  and  finish  the  important  document. 

Having  basked  for  a  while  in  the  glory  of  his 
pretended  victory  over  Luther  in  the  Leipzig  dis- 
putation, Professor  Eck  had  gone  to  Rome,  where 
he  was  introduced  to  the  pope  by  four  cardinals. 
Humbly  and  devoutly  he  kissed  the  pope's  feet, 
when,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  all  present,  the 
holy  father  asked  him  to  rise,  and  kissed  him,  Eck 
made  good  use  of  his  opportunities.  In  a  short  time 
he  could  report  that  his  journey  to  Rome  was  provi- 
dential since  the  pope  knew  too  little  of  Luther's 
dreadful  heresies,  and  was  glad  to  be  more  enlight- 
ened. Dr.  Eck,  of  course,  felt  himself  called  to  en- 
lighten the  pope.  The  result  was  the  fatal  bull  con- 
demning the  Wittenberg  monk  and  bidding  him 

98 


PuLLiNf.  Down  the;  Old.  99 

once  more  to  revoke  within  sixt}'  days  lest  he  shouk^ 
be  irrevocably  excommunicated  from  the  Church 
and  from  the  kingdom  of  grace  and  glory.  Another 
result,  less  known  but  none  the  less  well  pleasing  to 
Eck,  was  his  appointment  to  a  rich  benefice  in  In- 
golstadt. 

The  bull  itself  was  a  strange  mixture  of  sancti- 
monious cant  and  dignified  misrepresentations.  It 
commences:  "Arise,  O  Lord,  and  judge  Thy  cause! 
Be  mindful  of  the  reproaches  with  which  the  fool- 
ish reproach  Thee  daily.  Incline  Thine  ears  to  our 
prayers,  since  foxes  have  arisen  seeking  to  spoil  the 
vineyard, — whose  care,  government,  and  adminis- 
tration Thou  didst  intrust  to  Peter  as  its  head  and 
Thy  vicar,  and  to  his  successors;  the  boar  out  of 
the  woods  is  seeking  to  waste  it,  and  a  peculiar 
wild  beast  does  devour  it." 

"Arise,  O  Peter,  attend  to  the  cause  of  the  holy 
Roman  Church,  the  mother  of  all  Churches  and 
mistress  of  the  faith.  Arise  thou,  too,  O  Pau!  I 
.  .  .  Finally  let  the  entire  congregation  of  saints 
and  the  rest  of  the  Church  universal  arise.  .  .  . 
Some  whose  minds  are  blinded  by  the  father  of 
lies,  wise  in  their  ov/n  eyes,  interpret  the  Holy 
Scriptures  otherwise  than  the  Holy  Spirit  re- 
quireth." 

Then  follow  forty-two  sentences  taken  at  ran- 
dom from  Luther's  writings,  torn  out  of  their  legiti- 
mate connection  and  twisted  in  sense,  which  are 
condemned  because  "no  one  of  sound  mind  is  ig- 
norant how  poisonous,  how  pernicious,  how  seduc- 
tive to  godly  and  simple  minds,  and  finally  how  con- 
trary to  all  love  and  reverence  for  the  holy  Roman 


loo  Luther:   Thr   Lkadkr. 

Church — the  foundation  and  source  of  all  virtue, 
without  which  every  one  is  proved  to  be  an  infidel — 
these  errors  are."  It  is  prohibited  "in  any  way  to 
read,  quote,  preach,  commend,  print,  publish,  or  de- 
fend the  writings  of  Luther,"  since  they  "spread 
this  pestilence  and  cancerous  disease ;"  on  the  con- 
trary, the  pope  commands  that  a  diligent  search  be 
made  for  said  writings,  and  that  they  be  publicly 
and  solemnly  burned  in  the  presence  of  the  clergy 
and  the  people. 

It  is  touching  to  read  how  tenderly  the  chief 
shepherd  cares  for  the  wayward  sheep:  "As  to 
Martinus  himself,  good  God  !  what  office  of  paternal 
affection  have  we  neglected  or  left  undone  or 
omitted,  in  order  to  recall  him  from  such  errors? 
But  he  has  disobeyed  persistently."  Now  the  holy 
father  is  compelled,  if  Martinus  does  not  recant,  to 
cut  him  and  his  adherents  off  as  withered  branches, 
not  abiding  in  Christ.  All  faithful  Christians  are 
required,  under  penalty  of  excommunication,  to  ar- 
rest him  and  send  him  to  Rome ;  an  interdict  will  be 
pronounced  on  any  place  harboring  Luther ;  the  bull 
must  be  made  public  in  all  churches,  and  the  wrath 
of  God  Almighty  and  of  the  blessed  apostles  will  be 
sure  to  fall  upon  all  who  dare  to  be  unmindful  of 
this  decree. 

To  crown  Eck's  success  he  was  appointed  papal 
nuncio  to  promulgate  the  bull  in  Germany.  On 
September  21st,  he  posted  the  bull  in  Meissen,  a 
few  days  later  in  Merseburg  and  in  Brandenburg. 
He  sent  copies  to  the  various  universities  and  to  the 
princes.  But  nearly  everywhere  he  met  with  a  cold 
reception.     The  University  of  Erfurt  declined  to 


PuLUNG  Down  the  Old.  ioi 

publish  the  bull ;  the  printed  copies  were  seized  by 
the  students  and  thrown  into  the  river,  in  order  to 
find  out  "whether  the  bubble  (bulla)  could  float." 
In  Leipzig,  the  scene  of  his  cheap  triumphs  of  the 
previous  year,  the  students  annoyed  him  so  much 
that  he  did  not  dare  to  leave  his  safe  quarters.  In 
Torgau,  as  well  as  in  other  cities,  the  copies  which 
were  posted  to  the  church  doors  were  bespattered 
with  mud  and  torn  down.  The  University  of  Wit- 
tenberg refused  to  accept  the  bull  as  genuine. 
Elector  Frederick,  although  protesting  that  he  did 
not  countenance  any  heretical  tendencies,  still  in- 
sisted that  his  professor  should  not  be  condemned 
without  having  been  tried  before  impartial  judges. 
He  had  requested  Erasmus  to  give  his  opinion  on 
the  matter,  and  received  the  following  trenchant  re- 
ply :  "Luther  has  sinned  in  two  respects :  he  touched 
the  crown  of  the  pope  and  the  stomachs  of  the 
monks." 

Every  effort  was  made  by  the  Romanists  to  carry 
into  effect  the  provisions  of  the  bull.  The  papal 
legate  and  his  friends  who  attended  the  German 
Diet  did  their  utmost  to  influence  the  emperor  and 
the  princes  against  the  heretic,  and  they  succeeded 
in  having  Luther's  writings  publicly  burned  in 
Mainz,  Cologne,  Lowen,  and  other  cities  on  the 
Rhine.  It  was  evident  that  this  could  not  be  done 
without  the  approval  of  the  emperor.  About  one- 
hundred  and  fifty  students,  mostly  dependent  on 
Church  stipends,  were  induced  to  leave  Wittenberg, 
and  the  rumor  was  spread  that  the  university  would 
fall  under  the  papal  interdict  and  be  closed.  Elector 
Frederick  was  alarmed.    Whoever  touched  his  uni- 


I02  Luther:   The   Leader. 

versity,  touched  the  apple  of  his  eye.  He  forthwith 
sent  Spalatin  to  Wittenberg  to  investigate  the  mat- 
ter, but  was  satisfied  when  the  report  came  that  over 
four  hundred  students  attended  the  daily  lectures 
of  Dr.  Luther,  while  nearly  six  hundred  were  to  be 
found  in  Melanchthon's  lecture  hall. 

Luther  remained  undaunted.  He  wrote  to  his 
friend  Spalatin :  "At  last  the  Roman  bull,  brought 
by  Eck,  has  arrived.  I  shall  act  as  if  it  were  a 
forged  bull,  although  I  believe  that  it  is  genuine. 
How  I  do  wish  that  Emperor  Charles  were  a  man 
and  would  go  for  those  Satans  in  the  name  of 
Christ !  I  have  no  fears  as  to  my  own  person ; 
God's  will  be  done."  In  order  to  appreciate  Lu- 
ther's coolness  and  courage  we  must  remember  that 
Pirkheimer,  "the  first  citizen  of  Germany,"  as  he 
has  been  called,  Spengler.  and  the  other  influential 
Humanists  mentioned  by  name  in  the  bull,  were,  in 
spite  of  the  dissatisfaction  with  Rome,  so  frightened 
by  the  threat  of  excommunication  that  they  speedily 
recanted  and  obtained  absolution.  Ulrich  von  Hut- 
ten,  the  valiant  knight  who  had  emblazoned  upon 
his  coat  of  arms  the  bold  legend,  "I  have  dared  it," 
when  it  was  rumored  that  the  pope  demanded  his 
extradition,  wrote  in  pitiful  despair:  "I  should  be 
torn  away  from  here !  O  wretched  man  that  I  am ! 
I  should  be  compelled  to  leave  these  skies,  these 
flocks,  these  altars  !  Help,  countrymen  !  Assist  me ! 
Do  n't  suffer  that  I,  who  attempted  to  liberate  you, 
should  be  imi^risoned !" 

Such  was  the  power  the  pope  wielded  over  the 
minds  even  of  brave  and  cultured  men.  Among 
those  who  lost  courage  and  deserted  Luther  at  this 


PuLiviNG  Down  the  Old.  103 

critical  time  was  also  his  old  friend  and  counselor, 
his  "Father  in  the  Gospel,"  Dr.  vStaupitz.  He  re- 
signed his  position  as  vicar-general  of  the  order  of 
the  Augustinians,  and  retired  to  the  court  of  the 
Archbishop  of  Salzburg,  one  of  Luther's  bitterest 
enemies,  where  he  was  forced  to  subscribe  to  the  con- 
demnation of  the  doctrines  of  his  former  pupil  and 
friend,  and  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  days  in 
seclusion,  an  unhappy  monk,  bearing  down  into  his 
grave  a  seared  conscience. 

In  accordance  with  his  first  plan,  Luther  wrote 
a  tract  on  "The  New  Bull  and  Lies  of  Eck,"  which 
was  soon  followed  by  a  formal  "Appeal  to  a  Gen- 
eral Council,"  and  by  another  pamphlet  published 
both  in  Latin  and  German,  "Against  the  Execrable 
Bull  of  Antichrist."  He  calls  the  pope's  edict  "a 
cursed,  impudent,  and  devilish  bull,"  and  holds  that 
its  author,  whoever  he  may  be,  was  inspired  by 
Antichrist  himself.  "Thee,  Leo  X,  and  you,  ye  car- 
dinals of  Rome  I  address,  and  to  your  face  I  freely 
say :  If  this  bull  has  gone  forth  in  your  name  and 
with  your  knowledge,  and  you  acknowledge  it,  I 
exhort  and  admonish  you  in  the  Lord  to  repent  and 
to  make  an  end  of  these  diabolical  blasphemies,  and 
that,  too,  speedily.  Unless  this  be  done,  know  that 
I,  with  all  who  worship  Christ,  will  regard  your  see 
possessed  of  Satan  and  as  the  accursed  abode  of 
Antichrist,  whom  we  not  only  can  not  obey,  but 
must  detest  and  execrate  as  the  chief  enemy  of 
Christ."  Complying  with  the  wish  of  the  Elector, 
he  also  wrote  an  elaborate  explanation  of  the  forty- 
two  sentences  named  in  the  bull,  which  he  published 


J64  Luther:   Thu   Li^ade;r. 

under  the  title,  "The  Foundation  and  Reason  of  all 
the  Articles  Lately  Condemned  by  the  Roman  Bull." 

His  position  was  by  no  means  enviable.  Go 
back  he  could  not.  It  would  have  been  against  his 
conscience,  and,  besides,  it  would  have  meant  cer- 
tain death.  A  more  timid  man  would,  perhaps, 
have  tried  some  way  of  reconciliation,  and  would 
have  failed.  Luther  decided  that  his  safety  lay  in 
an  act  of  unprecedented  defiance.  The  pope  de- 
manded that  the  writings  of  the  monk  should  be 
burned ;  the  monk  made  up  his  mind  to  answer  by 
publicly  and  solemnly  burning  the  writings  of  the 
pope. 

On  Monday,  December  loth,  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, the  students  and  the  public  at  large  saw  the  fol- 
lowing notice  posted  on  the  doors  of  the  Stadt- 
Kirche :  "All  friends  of  evangelical  truth  are  in- 
vited to  assemble  about  nine  o'clock  at  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Cross  without  the  city  walls.  At  that 
place,  according  to  ancient  apostolical  usage,  the 
godless  books  of  the  Papal  Constitutions  and  the 
Scholastic  Theology  will  be  burned,  inasmuch  as 
the  presumption  of  the  enemies  of  the  Gospel  has 
advanced  to  such  a  degree  that  they  have  cast  the 
godly,  evangelical  books  of  Dr.  Luther  into  the  fire. 
Let  all  earnest  students,  therefore,  appear  at  this 
sacred  and  religious  spectacle ;  for  it  is  now  the  time 
when  Antichrist  must  be  exposed." 

Not  far  from  the  "Elster  Gate"  is  the  spot  where 
the  belongings  of  those  who  had  died  of  the  plague 
used  to  be  burned.  A  large  pyre  had  been  erected 
there.  Most  of  the  professors,  nearly  all  the  stu- 
dents, and  a  crowd  of  citizens  assembled  at  the 


Pulling  Down  the;  Old.  105 

stated  time.  A  slim  figure,  clad  in  a  monk's  hood, 
with  haggard  features,  deep-set  eyes,  which  were 
fairly  burning,  stepped  from  the  crowd.  It  was 
Martin  Luther.  He  placed  the  Papal  Constitutions 
on  top  of  the  pyre,  one  of  the  teachers  applied  the 
torch,  and  when  the  flames  were  leaping  heaven- 
ward, the  monk  stepped  up  once  more  and  exclaim- 
ing, "Because  thou  dost  trouble  the  Holy  One  of 
the  Lord — Mark  i,  24  [meaning  Christ,  of  course, 
not  himself] — may  eternal  fire  consume  thee,"  he 
threw  the  bull  of  excommunication  into  the  fire. 

It  was  to  him  a  most  solemn,  a  sacred  act. 
Quietly  he  left  the  place,  accompanied  by  his  col- 
leagues, and  repaired  to  his  cell. 

It  could  not  be  expected,  of  course,  that  the  stu- 
dents would  let  this  splendid  chance  to  have  som.e 
fun  slip  by  without  making  the  best  of  it.  They 
fetched  a  peasant's  wagon,  nailed  a  bull  of  several 
yards'  length  to  a  long  pole,  sang  dirges  and  songs 
mocking  the  pope,  carried  banners  with  sarcastic  in- 
scriptions, drove  from  house  to  house  to  collect  the 
books  of  Luther's  opponents,  and  replenished  the 
smoldering  flames  again  and  again.  The  whole 
town  was  in  an  uproar.  Meanwhile  Luther  sat 
quietly  in  his  cell  and  wrote  a  tract,  "Why  the  Books 
of  the  Pope  and  of  His  Disciples  were  Burned  by 
Dr.  Martin  Luther." 

Luther's  oak,  just  outside  the  Elster  Gate  in  the 
city  of  Wittenberg,  is  still  visited  every  year  by  hun- 
dreds of  tourists.  It  is  a  sturdy  old  tree,  surrounded 
b>  an  iron  railing.  A  little  tablet  bears  the  inscrip- 
tion, "Dr.  Martin  Luther  burned  at  this  place  on 
December  10,  1520,  the  papal  bull."    And  well  may 


io6  Luthkr:   The;  Le;ade;r. 

this  historic  place  be  pointed  out  to  succeeding'  gen- 
erations and  the  deed  be  commemorated,  because, 
as  Dr.  Schaff  rightly  says :  "The  burning  of  the 
pope's  bull  was  the  boldest  and  most  eventful  act  of 
Luther.  Viewed  in  itself  it  might  have  been  only 
an  act  of  fanaticism  and  folly,  and  proved  a  'brutum 
fuhnen.'  But  it  was  preceded  and  followed  by 
heroic  acts  of  faith  in  pulling  down  an  old  church 
and  building  up  a  new  one.  It  defied  the  greatest 
power  on  earth,  before  which  emperors  and  kings 
and  princes,  and  all  the  nations  of  Europe,  bowed 
in  reverence  and  awe.  It  was  the  fiery  signal  of 
absolute  and  final  separation  from  Rome,  and  de- 
stroyed the  effects  of  future  papal  bulls  upon  one- 
half  of  Western  Christendom.  It  emancipated 
Luther  and  the  entire  Protestant  world  from  that 
authority  which,  from  a  wholesome  school  of  dis- 
cipline for  young  nations,  had  become  a  fearful  and 
intolerable  tyranny  over  the  intellects  and  con- 
sciences of  men." 

On  January  3,  1521,  the  final  bull  of  excommuni- 
cation was  issued  by  which  Luther  and  his  adher- 
ents, ''the  Lutherans,"  were  cut  off  from  the  Church 
and  given  to  eternal  perdition,  and  in  which  the  em- 
peror and  all  princes  were  enjoined  to  execute  all 
the  temporal  punishments  which  the  Church  canons 
decree  against  heretics. 


CHAPTER  XL 

FACING    THE    EMPEROR    AND    HIS 
PRINCES. 

Germany  had  a  new  emperor.  While  Martin 
Luther  was  in  Leipzig,  disputing  with  Dr.  Eck,  the 
German  electors  had  elected,  on  June  28,  15 19, 
Charles,  King  of  Spain,  as  Emperor  of  the  Holy 
Roman  Empire  of  the  German  Nation,  to  use  the 
official  designation. 

The  last  wish  of  Emperor  Maximilian  was  ful- 
filled. The  imperial  crown  went  to  his  grandson, 
in  spite  of  the  intrigues  of  the  pope  and  the  bribes 
of  King  Francis  of  France,  whose  agents  spent 
money  lavishly  to  effect  the  election  of  their  sov- 
ereign. 

Strange,  that  two  foreign  monarchs  should  be 
the  candidates  for  the  highest  dignity  that  Germany 
could  bestow.  It  is  true  the  crown  was  offered  to 
the  highly  respected  Frederick,  Elector  of  Saxony, 
but  this  prince,  showing  that  he  indeed  deserved  the 
surname  "The  Wise,"  declined  the  honor.  He  real- 
ized the  difficulty  of  assuming  the  exalted  position 
without  possessing  the  power  and  wealth  necessary 
to  enforce  his  policy.  It  was  Frederick  whose  voice 
was  of  greatest  weight  with  the  German  princes; 
it  was  he  whose  decision,  above  everything  else, 
107 


io8  Luther:   The;  Le;ade;r. 

had  given  the  coveted  crown  to  Charles,  and  the 
young  emperor  was  not  unmindful  of  this  fact. 

Charles  V,  King  of  Spain,  of  the  Netherlands, 
of  Sicily,  heir  to  all  the  possessions  of  the  House  of 
Habsburg,  whose  residences  were  Toledo  and  Na- 
ples, Brussels  and  Vienna,  was,  at  the  time  of  his 
election  to  the  imperial  throne,  a  young  man  of 
twenty  years,  without  any  special  signs  of  greatness 
of  character  or  promises  of  achievement.  The  son 
of  a  demented  mother,  he  was  wavering  between  a 
tendency  to  melancholia,  which  finally  drove  him 
to  abdicate  his  throne  and  end  his  days  in  a  secluded 
cloister,  and  between  gratifying  his  unbridled  sen- 
sual lusts  and  appetites,  which  undermined  his  con- 
stitution and  made  him  an  old  man  at  a  time  when 
he  ought  to  have  been  in  the  full  strength  of  man- 
hood. Educated  in  the  strictest  traditions  of  som- 
ber, legal,  superstitious  Catholic  faith,  and  sur- 
rounded by  bigoted  Catholics,  he  did  not  under- 
stand the  great  religious  questions  that  were  agitat- 
ing the  minds  of  his  German  subjects.  At  heart  a 
Spaniard,  he  cared  more  for  his  Spanish  possessions 
than  for  the  welfare  of  the  German  empire,  and  had 
no  sympathy  whatever  with  the  longing  for  national 
freedom.  He  was  German  emperor,  but  did  not 
know  the  German  language ;  he  was  the  head  of  the 
German  nation,  but  in  his  sympathies  and  aspira- 
tions he  remained  a  foreigner  all  the  days  of  his 
hfe. 

And  this  was  tlie  man  whom  the  knights  cheered 
as  the  coming  liberator  of  Germany;  to  whom  the 
religious  reformers  looked  up  as  to  the  "young  and 
noble  blood"  who  was  to  free  them  from  the  Roman 


Pulling  Down  the;  Old.  109 

yoke;  everybody  who  was  hoping  and  working  for 
liberty — reHgious,  social,  political  liberty — set  their 
hopes  on  him,  and  they  were  all  sorely  disappointed. 

His  policy  was  dictated  exclusively  by  the  exi- 
gencies of  the  coming  conflict  with  France.  Francis 
I  and  Charles  V  were  not  only  rivals  for  the  im- 
perial crown,  they  were  the  great  rivals  for  the  con- 
trol of  Europe.  Both  saw  in  the  imperial  throne 
merely  a  help  to  further  their  ulterior  ends ;  both 
needed  the  assistance  of  the  pope,  and  both  knew 
perfectly  well  the  pope  would  support  the  one  from 
whom  he  could  expect  most  returns.  Up  to  that 
time  he  had  openly  favored  Francis ;  the  question 
now  was,  whether  Charles  could  win  him  over  to  his 
side  without  sacrificing  too  much. 

The  conflicting  interests  of  the  Habsburg 
dynasty  represented  by  Charles,  of  the  House  of 
Valois  represented  by  Francis,  of  the  papacy  repre- 
sented by  Leo,  and  finally  of  dozens  of  selfish,  nar- 
row-minded, dissenting,  quarreling  princes  and  free 
cities,  were  the  stakes  in  this  game  of  high  diplo- 
macy. In  a  most  critical  moment  of  the  game  this 
monk  Luther  appeared,  and  had  to  be  taken  into 
consideration.  To  Charles  V  he  was  nothing  but  a 
pawn  on  the  chess-board,  used  at  will  to  check  a 
dreaded  move  of  the  antagonist,  or  sacrificed  to 
gain  a  coveted  advantage. 

The  greatest  religious  and  social  movement 
which  had  occurred  since  the  founding  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  was  looked  upon  by  the  mighty  ones 
of  this  world  as  something  insignificant  in  compari- 
son with  the  questions  of  boundaries  and  revenues, 
of  titles  &n4  military  honors,   A  few  centuries  have 


no  Lutiikr:   Thf;  Lkadkr. 

passed,  and  all  those  petty  issues  are  dead  and 
buried,  but  the  soul-stirring  questions  raised  by- 
Martin  Luther  still  influence  and  permeate  the  daily 
lives  of  increasing  millions  among  the  leading  na- 
tions of  the  globe. 

Space  forbids  to  enter  into  the  intricate  move- 
ments of  the  diplomatic  game  played  while  Charles 
was  slowly  traveling  up  the  Rhine,  to  be  crowned 
in  Aachen  (Aix-la-Chapelle)  in  the  fall  of  1520,  and 
during  the  first  few  weeks  of  his  first  Diet,  which 
opened  in  the  old  city  of  Worms  on  the  upper 
Rhine  in  the  month  of  January,  1521.  The  pope 
had  sent  as  his  nuncio  one  of  the  shrewdest,  most 
active,  and  most  unscrupulous  of  ecclesiastical  poli- 
ticians, Girolamo  Aleandro,  or  Aleander,  who  suc- 
ceeded by  means  of  liberal  bribes  in  building  up  a 
regular  political  machine,  extending  into  the  cham- 
bers of  the  emperor  and  into  the  offices  of  his  secre- 
taries. His  reports  to  Rome  are  very  interesting 
reading.  They  give  a  picture  of  the  proceedings  in 
their  minutest  details,  and  show  his  keen  judgment 
of  men  and  things,  but  also  betray  his  character. 
Thus  he  writes  upon  one  occasion :  "I  dissimulated 
quite  cleverly,  and  told  some  courteous  lies,  which, 
in  the  interest  of  the  holy  faith  and  of  my  commis- 
sion, I  could  not  help  doing." 

When  the  papal  request  that  the  bull  of  excom- 
munication should  be  executed  in  Germany  was 
read  to  the  Diet,  Aleander  supported  it  in  an  ad- 
dress of  three  hours'  length.  He  made  it  plain  that 
there  were  some  sentences  in  Luther's  last  few  pub- 
lications "sufficient,  on  account  of  them,  for  the 
burning  of  several  thousand  heretics."    To  call  the 


Pui^UNG  Down  the;  Oi,n.  iii 

reprobate  monk  before  the  Diet  was,  in  his  opinion, 
entirely  unnecessary,  since  the  Church  through  her 
head  had  passed  judgment;  and,  besides,  the  heretic 
did  not  even  recognize  the  authority  of  a  General 
Council.  Notwithstanding  his  clever  diplomacy  and 
the  favors  shown  by  Rome  to  Glapion,  the  Francis- 
can confessor  of  the  emperor,  after  hesitating  a  long 
time  it  was  decided  to  summon  Luther  to  appear 
before  the  Diet. 

It  was  on  March  26th  when  an  imperial  herald, 
clad  in  his  brilliant  uniform  and  accompanied  by  a 
servant,  rode  through  the  city  gate  of  Wittenberg 
and  delivered  the  summons  to  "the  Honorable,  the 
Dear  and  the  Devout  Martinus  Luther"  to  appear 
within  twenty-one  days,  under  promise  of  safe  con- 
duct, before  His  Majesty,  in  order  to  give  informa- 
tion concerning  the  books  and  doctrines  which  he 
had  promulgated.  Aleander  in  Worms  was  fum- 
ing when  he  heard  that  the  condemned  heretic  was 
addressed  in  such  respectful  terms. 

Would  Luther  go  ?  He  was  not  ignorant  of  the 
fate  of  John  Huss,  who  was  summoned  to  Con- 
stance, likewise  under  promise  of  safe  conduct,  and 
was  burned  at  the  stake  by  Emperor  Sigismund. 
He  had  not  forgotten  the  death  of  Savonarola.  He 
knew  that  his  own  writings  were  burned  by  com- 
mand of  the  emperor  in  the  Netherlands.  Would 
Charles  keep  his  word,  when  Luther  once  was  in 
his  power? 

A  few  months  before,  when  Elector  Frederick 
had  asked  "his  monk"  whether  or  not  he  were  will- 
ing to  come  to  Worms  if  summoned,  he  had  given 
the  following  answer;   "If  I  am  called,  I  shall  go: 


112  Luther:  The:  Leader. 

and  if  I  were  too  sick  to  go,  I  shall  have  them  carry 
me.  It  were  wrong  to  doubt  that  God. calls  me 
when  the  emperor  calls." 

He  was  still  of  the  same  opinion.  Go  he  would. 
To  Alelarichthon  he  remarked :  "If  I  do  not  return, 
and  my  enemies  murder  me,  I  conjure  3'ou,  dear 
brother,  to  persevere  in  teaching  the  truth.  If  you 
remain,  I  can  well  be  spared." 

Accompanied  by  another  monk,  in  accordance 
with  the  rule  of  the  order,  and  by  his  colleague  Ams- 
dorf,  and  by  a  young  nobleman,  Peter  Swaven,  who 
studied  in  Wittenberg,  he  set  out  in  a  plain  wagon, 
furnished  by  the  city  magistrate.  His  trip  was,  in 
fact,  a  triumphal  procession.  A  Roman  priest  re- 
ports :  "When  Luther  entered  a  city,  the  people 
ran  to  meet  him.  Everybody  wanted  to  see  that 
wonderful  man  who  was  so  bold  as  to  oppose  him- 
self against  the  pope  and  the  whole  world." 

At  Erfurt,  the  scene  of  his  early  studies  and 
struggles,  he  was  received  like  a  prince,  the  Human- 
ist leaders  of  the  university  using  the  occasion  of 
his  visit  for  a  public  demonstration  against  the  hated 
monks  and  the  clerics  in  general.  He  preached  to  a 
crowded  house.  In  the  midst  of  his  discourse  the 
densely  packed  galleries  cracked.  Immediately  a 
panic  ensued.  But  Luther's  powerful  voice  was 
heard  above  the  noise:  "Be  quiet,  good  people,  it 
is  only  the  devil.  He  is  playing  one  of  his  tricks, 
that  is  all.    I  know  thy  malice,  thou  Satan !" 

He  was,  however,  frequently  reminded  of  the 
dangers  which  lurked  in  his  path.  In  more  than  one 
place  the  party  noticed  the  imperial  edict  posted  up, 
yvhioh  commanded  his  books  to  be  delivered  tQ  th§ 


PUI.UNG  Down  the  Old.  113 

magistrates;  he  also  received  warnings  from  his 
faithful  friend  Spalatin,  but  answered:  "You  may 
expect  anything  from  me  but  fear  or  recantation. 
I  shall  not  flee,  still  less  recant.  Christ  lives,  and 
we  shall  come  to  Worms  in  spite  of  all  the  gates  of 
hell  and  powers  of  the  air." 

Notwithstanding  his  perilous  situation  and  his 
feeble  health,  he  was  of  good  cheer.  More  than  one 
of  his  opponents  afterward  took  occasion  to  indulge 
in  sanctimonious  reflection  upon  the  frivolity  of  the 
arch-heretic  "who  played  merry  tunes  on  the  lute 
in  his  lodging-places  on  the  journey." 

The  nearer  he  came,  the  more  were  attempts 
made  by  the  Romanists  either  to  prevent  his  coming 
or,  at  least,  to  delay  him  beyond  the  twenty-one  days 
of  his  safe  conduct.  Glapion  went  to  Hutten  and 
Sickingen,  and  prevailed  upon  them  to  invite  Luther 
to  the  latter's  castle  Ebernburg,  near  Worms.  The 
Elector  expressed  his  apprehensions.  Luther's 
name  was  too  often  coupled  with  the  names  of  Sa- 
vonarola, of  Huss,  of  Wiclif.  But  Luther  was  not 
to  be  intimidated.  "I  shall  go  to  Worms,  even  if 
there  were  there  as  many  devils  as  tiles  on  the 
roofs,"  was  his  decisive  reply. 

It  was  on  the  i6th  day  of  April,  at  the  time  of 
the  day  when  the  good  citizens  of  Worms  and  their 
many  visitors  partook  of  the  principal  meal,  that 
the  guard  at  the  city  gate  blew  his  horn,  the  signal 
that  a  troop  of  horsemen  was  approaching.  Every- 
body surmised  that  it  was  Martin  Luther  and  his 
escort,  and  everybody  left  the  tables  and  rushed  to 
the  windows  or  to  the  streets.  Soon  all  available 
places,  even  the  roofs,  were  packed.  Now  they 
8 


114  Luther:   The:  Leader. 

came.  First  the  imperial  herald,  then  a  company 
of  mounted  noblemen,  and  next  the  wagon  with  the 
monk  and  his  companions.  On  either  side  rode  a 
Saxon  knight  on  his  charger,  and  fifty  or  more 
horsemen  brought  up  the  rear. 

Aleander  was  furious.  His  efforts  to  keep  the 
"son  of  Belial"  away  from  the  Diet  having  been 
thwarted,  he  urged  that  the  "condemned  heretic" 
should  be  brought  to  Worms  in  all  secrecy,  and 
should  be  held  under  close  watch,  nobody  being  al- 
lowed to  see  him.  And  now  he  had  to  witness  this 
spectacle,  and  had  to  report  to  his  master  that  when 
the  heretic  left  his  vehicle  in  the  court  of  the 
Knights  of  St.  John,  he  was  embraced  and  his  gar- 
ment was  touched  three  times,  as  if  it  were  a  most 
precious  relic.  "This  Luther  looked  about  him  with 
his  diabolical  eyes  and  said,  'God  will  be  with  me.' 
The  whole  world  was  running  together  to  see  him." 

It  was  natural  that  the  Romanists  wished  to  have 
the  trial  dispatched  as  quickly  as  possible.  Ii^fact, 
it  was  not  to  be  a  trial  at  all.  Rome  had  spoken ;  no 
trial  was  necessary.  It  was  only  in  order  to  pacify 
the  unruly  Germans  that  Luther  was  to  be  given  an- 
other opportunity  to  recant.  If  he  did  not  revoke, 
he  was  to  be  condemned.  Every  detail  was  arranged, 
every  question  prepared.  Luther  was  not  to  have  the 
privilege  of  speaking ;  he  was  only  to  answer,  "Yes," 
or  "No ;"  in  short,  everything  was  cut  and  dried. 

On  the  day  after  his  arrival,  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  he  was  to  appear  before  the  Diet. 
At  the  appointed  time  the  lord  marshal  and  the 
imperial  herald  called  to  escort  him.  Every  street 
being  packed  with  curious  throngs  they  hurried  him 


Pui^LiNG  Down  the  Oi.d.  115 

through  back  gates,  gardens,  and  alleys  to  the 
Bishop's  Court. 

A  few  moments  later  he  was  standing  before  the 
emperor  and  his  princes,  before  the  cardinals  and 
archbishops,  before  the  cream  of  the  German  na- 
tion. "Seated  on  a  chair  of  state,  which  was  cov- 
ered with  gold  brocade  and  overhung  by  a  canopy 
of  the  same  material,  sat  the  emperor;  on  the  one 
side  were  seated  all  the  electors,  on  the  other  the 
cardinals,"  reports  an  eye-witness.  The  spacious 
hall  was  filled  to  the  last  place.  Every  eye  was 
fixed  upon  the  haggard  monk  with  the  pale,  sunken 
cheeks  and  the  deep-set,  flaming  eyes. 

On  a  table  in  front  of  him  lay  a  number  of  books. 

"Have  you  written  these  books,  and  will  you  re- 
cant their  contents?"  demanded  the  clerk,  who,  by 
the  way,  had  definite  instructions  from  Aleander, 
and  was  paid  handsomely  for  complying  with  the 
same. 

"Let  the  titles  be  read,"  quickly  replied  Luther's 
attorney  and  friend,  Dr.  Scliurf. 

"Then  the  titles  were  read,  and  they  all  were 
my  books,"  related  Luther  himself.  As  to  the  ques- 
tion of  recantation,  this  was  of  so  great  importance. 
involving*his  eternal  destiny,  that  he  was  not  ready 
to  give  a  definite  answer,  and  would  ask  for  a 
respite  to  consider  it  more  thoroughly. 

This  reply  was  unexpected.  The  Romanists 
were  provoked.  They  were  very  anxious  to  have 
judgment  pronounced  at  once.  Luther's  friends 
were  perplexed,  some  thinking  that  he  was  intimi- 
dated, perhaps  wavering.  Some  report  says  that 
his  voice  was  low  and  hardly  audible.    Yet  he  sim- 


ii6  Luther:  The  Leader. 

ply  followed  the  instructions  given  him  by  the  coun- 
selors of  his  prince.  Contrary  to  the  wish  of  the 
Romanists,  they  desired  to  delay  the  final  decision 
as  long  as  possible.  Finally  a  respite  of  one  day 
was  granted. 

"My  poor  monk,  my  poor  monk!"  said  the 
famous  leader  of  the  German  Landsknechte,  Colonel 
George  von  Frundsberg,  to  him  when  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  he  was  conducted  again  to  the  Bishop's 
Court.  "Thou  art  going  to  make  such  a  stand  as 
neither  I  nor  any  of  my  companions  in  arms  ever 
have  made  in  our  hottest  battles.  If  thou  art  sure 
of  the  justice  of  thy  cause,  then  forward  in  God's 
name  and  be  of  good  cheer;  God  will  not  forsake 
thee." 

Again  the  peasant's  son  stood  before  the  most 
august  assembly  in  the  world  on  that  memorable 
day,  the  i8th  of  April,  1521.  It  was  growing  dark; 
the  torches  were  being  lit ;  the  hall  was  still  more 
crowded  than  on  the  previous  day. 

"Will  you  defend  all  your  books,  or  will  you  re- 
voke some  things  ?"  he  heard  the  clerk  say. 

Now  the  supreme  moment  of  Martin  Luther's 
life  had  come.  In  a  firm,  clear  voice,  with  great 
boldness  of  spirit,  he  spoke  first  in  Latin ;  tften,  upon 
request,  also  in  German,  although  he  was  greatly 
exhausted  by  the  heat  and  by  his  own  emotion. 

Prefacing  his  address  with  an  apology  for  an)' 
blunder  he  might  make,  since  he  was  not  accus- 
tomed to  courtly  usages,  he  again  affirmed  that  the 
books  on  the  table  were  written  by  him.  They  were 
to  be  classified  in  three  groups.  The  first  treated 
of  Christian  life  and  faith,  and  his  opponents,  even 


Pulling  Down  thi:  Old.  117 

the  papal  bull,  admitted  that  they  contain  many 
good  and  useful  thoughts.  To  revoke  these  would 
mean  to  condemn  the  truth.  The  second  group 
treated  of  grievances  against  the  popes,  who  were 
guilty  of  many  acts  of  tyranny  and  wickedness.  To 
levoke  these  would  mean  to  open  the  doors  and 
windows  to  the  most  mischievous  tyranny.  The 
third  group  comprised  pamphlets  against  individual 
opponents.  He  confessed  that,  at  times,  he  had 
expressed  himself  more  severely  than  was  good,  but 
as  to  the  matter  at  issue  he  could  not  recant.  How- 
ever, being  only  a  man,  not  God,  and  therefore  lia- 
ble to  err,  he  would  beg  by  the  grace  of  God  of 
anybody  who  could  do  so,  to  show  him  his  errors 
by  proofs  from  the  Bible.  "If  convicted,  I  am  will- 
ing and  ready  to  revoke  any  error  and  shall  be  the 
first  one  to  throw  my  books  into  the  fire." 

This  carefully  worded  reply  was  really  an  invi- 
tation to  a  discussion.  But  a  disputation  with  the 
condemned  heretic  must  be  avoided  by  all  means. 
The  papal  nuncio  and  the  emperor  had  agreed  on 
that  point.  So  Luther  was  told  that  his  errors  were 
nothing  new,  and  consequently  needed  no  discus- 
sion. They  were  the  old  errors  of  Wiclif  and  Huss, 
and  were  condemned  long  ago  by  the  Council  of 
Constance. 

"Will  you  revoke  these  errors?  We  desire  a 
plain  answer  without  horns  or  without  a  cover." 

This  challenge  called  forth  Luther's  famous 
answer:  "Since  His  Imperial  Majesty  wants  a 
plain  answer,  I  shall  give  him  a  plain  answer  with- 
out horns  or  teeth.  Unless  I  am  refuted  and  con- 
victed by  testimonies  of  the  Scriptures  or  by  clear 


ii8  Lu'rHE;R:  The  Leader. 

arguments — since  I  believe  neither  the  popes  nor 
the  Councils  alone,  it  being  evident  that  they  have 
often  erred  and  contradicted  one  another — I  am 
conquered  by  the  passages  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  I 
have  quoted,  and  my  conscience  is  bound  in  the 
Word  of  God.  I  can  not  and  w^ill  not  recant  any- 
thing, since  it  is  unsafe  and  dangerous  to  act 
against  one's  conscience." 

Some  more  words  were  spoken ;  but  the  em- 
peror had  risen  and  thus  closed  the  session.  The 
audience  commenced  to  disperse,  and  thus  it  hap- 
pened that  the  last  words  of  the  Reformer  were 
lost  in  the  noise  and  confusion.  They  are  reported 
as  follows :  "Here  I  stand.  I  can  not  do  otherwise. 
God  help  me.    Amen." 

These  remarkable  words  are  inscribed  on  the 
magnificent  monument  of  Luther  which  is  standing 
to-day  in  the  city  of  Worms. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LUTHER  DISAPPEARS. 

"I  AM  through!  I  am  through!"  Luther  ex- 
claimed, joyfully,  when  he  reached  his  quarters 
again.  "If  I  had  a  thousand  heads  I  would  rather 
have  them  all  cut  oflf  than  to  revoke,"  he  remarked 
the  same  evening. 

The  city  was  greatly  stirred  up.  Handbills  and 
posters  were  scattered  clandestinely,  threatening 
open  revolt.  Luther's  address  was  printed  at  ones, 
and  scattered  broadcast.  In  the  chambers  of  the 
emperor  a  slip  of  paper  was  found  containing  the 
words,  "Woe  unto  the  land  whose  king  is  a  child !" 
Luther  was  constantly  in  demand.  "Many  princes, 
counts,  barons,  knights,  noblemen,  priests,  monks, 
laymen,  not  to  mention  the  common  people,  came 
to  see  him.  They  simply  beleaguered  his  house  and 
could  not  see  enough  of  him,"  writes  a  contem- 
porary. 

Most  of  the  German  princes  and  noblemen  were, 
as  we  have  seen  before,  in  full  sympathy  with  his 
attacks  upon  the  Roman  abuses  and  encroachments 
upon  national  liberties,  and  in  order  to  emphasize 
these  the  more,  and  not  to  encumber  them  with 
what  they  considered  secondary  matters,  they  de- 
sired Luther  to  drop  his  heretical  opinions  touching 
questions  of  faith  and  dogma.  Says  the  Venetian 
119 


I20  Luther:   The   Leader. 

ambassador:  "If  this  man  had  been  wise  enough 
to  confine  himself  to  his  first  accusations  and  had 
not  gone  astray  in  the  field  of  theology,  he  would 
have  been,  I  can  not  say  favored,  I  must  say  wor- 
shiped, by  everybody  in  Germany." 

The  emperor  was  prevailed  upon  to  extend 
Luther's  safe  conduct  for  a  few  days,  and  from 
morning  till  late  at  night  during  the  days  from  the 
19th  to  the  25th  of  April  the  Reformer  was  in  con- 
sultation with  a  commission  and  with  individuals 
representing  the  German  estates.  They  argued  and 
pleaded  with  him;  they  pictured  the  immense  ad- 
vantages that  could  be  gained  to  the  whole  nation 
if  he  would  only  be  willing  to  compromise,  and 
again  they  pointed  out  to  him  the  embarrassing 
position  into  which  his  friends  were  placed  should 
he  remain  obstinate.  A  bloody  war  would  follow, 
which  might  devastate  all  Germany. 

Luther  realized  that  these  pleadings  were  not 
inspired  by  Rome,  but  were  meant  in  good  faith. 
Moreover,  they  were  made  by  men  whom  he  hon- 
ored.    Should  he  yield? 

Those  few  days  of  private  negotiations  were  a 
greater  strain  on  him  than  his  public  appearance 
before  the  Diet.  He  had  done  his  full  duty  be- 
fore God  and  men,  and  had  done  it  well.  And  now 
these  same  friends  who  praised  him,  who  were  in- 
terested in  the  welfare  of  the  nation,  who  knew 
much  more  about  questions  of  practical  statesman- 
ship than  the  monk  knew, — these  men  were  urging 
him  to  drop  speculative  and  dogmatic  questions  and 
unite  with  them  in  achieving  tangible  results  in  the 
field  of  national  reforms.    Was  he,  after  all,  right 


Pulling  Down  the:  Old.  121 

in  tenaciously  adhering  to  the  doctrinal  points,  and 
thus  jeoparding  a  national  movement  bidding  fair 
to  succeed?  Again  and  again  he  must  have  pon- 
dered these  questions  in  his  own  mind.  But  he 
could  see  no  way  out.  He  was  neither  a  political 
nor  a  religious  reformer ;  he  was  a  witness  of  what 
he  had  experienced  in  his  own  life  by  the  power  of 
the  Word  of  God.  To  shift  his  point  of  view  and 
let  himself  be  influenced  by  political  considerations, 
be  they  ever  so  commendable,  would  have  been  to 
betray  the  voice  of  God  in  his  soul.  He  could  not 
yield. 

His  conscience  proved  to  be  a  safer  guide  than 
the  advice  and  the  diplomatic  schemes  of  the  poli- 
ticians. Says  Professor  Hausrath:  "He  penetrated 
deeper  than  those  well-meaning  politicians.  The 
errors  in  doctrine  were,  to  his  mind,  inseparably 
connected  with  the  abuses  in  practice,  just  as  the 
bad  root  with  the  foul  fruit.  If  he  did  not  attack 
the  former,  he  could  not  resist  the  latter.  From 
the  doctrine  of  purgatory  resulted  the  abuse  of  in- 
dulgences ;  from  the  sacrament  of  priestly  ordina- 
tion followed  the  servitude  of  the  laity;  the  erro- 
neous doctrine  of  justification  led  to  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  outward  works  and  rites  which  choked  all 
living  faith  and  spiritual  life.  Just  because  he  saw 
clearer  than  did  his  political  patrons,  he  could  not 
acquiesce  to  their  wishes,  and  consequently  all  ef- 
forts to  effect  a  compromise  were  doomed  to  fail- 
ure at  the  outset." 

Luther  remained  firm  as  a  rock.  "Unless  I  am 
convinced  by  Scripture  or  clear  arguments,  I  can 
not  yield;  let  come  what  God  sees  fit."     On  April 


122  Luther:  The  Leader. 

25th  the  emperor  granted  him  a  letter  of  safe  con- 
duct back  to  Wittenberg,  and  on  the  next  morninef 
he  left. 

"The  villain  has  left,"  reported  Aleander,  and 
added,  "We  shall  do  our  best."  He  certainly  did 
his  best.  So  deftly  did  he  lay  his  wires  that  he 
himself  was  requested  by  Charles  to  write  the  edict 
pronouncing  the  ban  of  the  empire  over  Luther  and 
all  his  sympathizers.  It  was  the  most  spiteful,  ma- 
licious, the  bitterest  and  fiercest  edict  ever  issued  by 
an  emperor  of  Germany.  It  betrays  in  every  sen- 
tence the  fiendish  joy  of  revenge  and  the  intense 
satisfaction  of  having  totally  crushed  the  enemy. 
Luther  and  all  his  sympathizers  were  outlawed. 
Wherever  he  was  found  he  was  to  be  arrested. 
Whoever  dared  to  assist  him  in  any  way,  did  so  at 
his  own  risk.  His  adherents  were  to  be  driven  from 
their  homes,  and  all  their  belongings  could  be  ap- 
propriated by  whoever  desired  to  possess  them. 

On  May  25th,  after  most  princes  had  left 
Worms,  Aleander  presented  the  document  to  the 
emperor  immediately  after  mass  in  the  cathedral. 
It  was  signed  on  the  spot. 

A  shameful  fraud  was  perpetrated  by  the  Span- 
ish king  who  wore  the  imperial  crown  and  by  the 
envoy  of  His  Holiness.  The  edict  which  in  the 
name  of  the  German  emperor  and  of  the  German 
princes  declared  Luther  an  outlaw,  was  not  author- 
ized by  the  Diet ;  it  was  never  submitted  to  the  Diet ; 
but,  in  order  to  make  it  appear  so,  it  was  dated 
back  to  May  8th.  On  the  next  day  the  emperor 
went  on  board  of  his  ship,  sailed  down  the  Rhine, 
and  was  soon  outside  of  the  German  empire. 


Pulling  Down  thic  Old.  123 

The  pope  and  the  emperor  were  now  good 
friends.  Leo  acceded  to  the  wishes  of  Charles. 
The  ratification  by  the  emperor  of  the  papal  bull  of 
excommunication  was  the  price  paid  for  the  favor 
of  the  pope. 

But  where  was  Luther?  Nobody  seemed  tn 
know.  One  thing  was  sure,  he  had  not  returned 
to  Wittenberg.  It  was  reported  that  the  party  had 
been  waylaid,  and  that  Luther  was  kidnaped.  Soon 
the  air  was  full  of  rumors.  Some  declared  the  pa- 
pists had  murdered  him,  others  that  some  enemy 
of  the  Elector  held  him  captive ;  others  had  heard 
that  his  corpse  was  found  in  an  abandoned  mine. 
Some  said  he  had  escaped  to  the  King  of  Denmark, 
others  that  he  was  in  safety  with  Hutten  and  Sick- 
ingen.  Aleander,  however,  shrewd  as  he  was, 
wrote  to  Rome :  "My  personal  opinion  is  that 
Luther  is  kept  in  a  safe  place,  either  in  Wittenberg 
or  in  some  castle  belonging  to  one  of  the  Elector's 
faithful  knights." 

He  was  not  far  from  right;  but  how  could  he 
prove  it?  Frederick  was  ready  to  swear  an  oath 
that  he  did  not  know  where  Luther  was,  and,  of 
course,  he  spoke  the  truth.  He  did  not  know  pre- 
cisely to  which  castle  his  knights  had  taken  Luther, 
nor  did  he  want  to  know.  But  he  had  given  orders 
to  bring  the  monk  secretly  to  some  safe  place  of 
hiding  and  keep  him  there  for  the  present. 

In  a  narrow  ravine  near  Altenstein  in  the  Thur- 
ingian  Mountains,  where  the  road  winds  up  the  hill 
through  a  dense  forest  of  birch-trees,  is  standing 
to-day,  surrounded  by  a  railing,  the  trunk  of  an  old, 
weatherbeaten    and    lightning-struck   birch,    called 


124  Luther:   The:  Leader. 

"die  Lutherbuche."  Near  by  Is  a  plain  monument 
commemorative  of  what  took  place  at  this  spot  on 
a  dark  evening  in  April,  1521. 

A  wagon,  in  which  some  monks  were  seated, 
slowly  drove  up  the  hill.  Suddenly,  armed  horse- 
men appeared.  The  wagon  was  held  up  in  regular 
fashion,  the  driver  cufifed  and  beaten.  One  of  the 
monks  jumped  out  and  escaped  into  the  woods,  fol- 
lowed by  the  curses  of  the  waylayers;  the  other 
was  quickly  lifted  upon  a  horse,  and  the  whole  troop 
rapidly  galloped  away. 

A  few  days  later  it  was  known  in  the  little  city 
of  Eisenach  that  the  castle,  towering  above  the  city, 
lodged  a  noble  guest.  He  had  arrived  late  one 
night  in  company  with  the  lord  of  the  castle.  His 
name  was  Junker  Jorg  (Sir  George).  Nobody 
could  ascertain  whence  he  came,  or  how  long  he 
was  going  to  stay,  or  what  was  the  object  of  his 
visit.  He  was  dressed  like  a  knight.  Smoothly 
shaven  at  first,  he,  after  a  few  weeks,  wore  a  full 
beard.  Most  of  the  time  he  spent  in  his  own  room ; 
sometimes  he  would  take  long  walks  or  go  riding  or 
hunting,  always  accompanied  by  a  page.  But  he 
did  not  seem  to  be  very  fond  of  the  usual  pastimes 
of  noblemen. 

The  real  name  of  this  mysterious  knight  wa.; 
Martin  Luther. 


BOOK  III 

BUILDING  UP  THE  NEW 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
THE  GERMAN  BIBLE. 

The;re;  are  few  places  in  Germany  dearer  to  the 
hearts  of  the  German  people  than  the  Wartburg. 
Located  on  a  lofty  eminence  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  Thuringian  Mountains  it  commands  a  fine  view 
over  hills  and  vales,  dense  birch-forests,  sparkling 
streams,  picturesque  villages.  The  fine  old  castle 
was  carefully  rebuilt  in  its  original  style  of  archi- 
tecture, and  presents  a  magnificent  appearance 
when  seen  either  from  the  city  of  Eisenach  at  its 
feet  or  from  any  of  the  numerous  points  of  view 
round  about. 

Innumerable  legends  cluster  about  the  Wart- 
burg and  connect  it  with  almost  all  the  great  epochs 
of  German  life  and  civilization.  Here  the  famous 
Sangerkrieg  took  place.  Walther  von  der  Vogel- 
weide.  Wolfram  von  Eschenbach,  Heinrich  von 
Ofterdingen,  and  others  renowned  in  song  and 
story,  assembled  in  its  spacious  halls.  Here  the 
saintly  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  the  rough  landgrave, 
spent  her  life  in  doing  good.  Nearly  every  spot  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Burg  is  connected  with 
some  deed  of  historic  interest  or  some  charming 
legend. 

But,  above  all,  the  Wartburg  owes  its  fame  to 
Martin  Luther's  stay  there.  In  the  little  room 
127 


128  Luther:  Th^  Leader. 

reached  from  the  outer  court,  with  its  plain  old  fur- 
niture, a  table,  an  arm-chair,  a  bedstead,  an  oaken 
chest,  all  of  them  carved  and  massive.  Junker  Jorg- 
pored  day  after  day  over  his  books,  w^rote  letters, 
pamphlets,  sermons,  and  gave  to  his  people  a  gift  of 
I      priceless  value — the  German  Bible. 

No  greater  change  can  be  imagined  than  that 
which  Luther  experienced  in  his  quiet  seclusion  "in 
the  region  of  the  birds,"  after  the  turmoil  and  the 
excitement  of  the  previous  weeks  in  Worms.  His 
restless  spirit  was  chafing  under  the  enforced  leis- 
ure. The  changed  mode  of  life,  the  lack  of  exercise, 
the  sumptuous  fare  with  which  he  was  supplied, 
caused  him  physical  trouble.  The  question  whether 
his  work  was  really  owned  by  God  recurred  con- 
stantly. He  was  thrown  into  doubts  and  tempta- 
tions, and,  considering  his  bodily  and  mental  weari- 
ness, we  can  understand  the  fierce  struggles  which 
he  had  to  encounter,  and  which  often  totally  de- 
jected him.  More  than  once  he  seemed  to  hear,  or 
even  see,  the  great  adversary  in  person,  and  in  the 
I  "Lutherstube"  the  guide  points  out  the  spot  on  the 
wall  where,  according  to  tradition,  he  threw  the 
inkbottle  at  the  devil. 

He  certainly  made  good  use  of  his  time.  "I  am 
at  leisure,  yet  very  busy  studying  Greek  and  He- 
brew and  writing  incessantly,"  he  wrote  to  Witten- 
berg. Books  of  devotion,  controversial  writings, 
tracts  for  the  times,  sermons,  letters  flowed  from 
his  ready  pen.  But  of  greatest  importance  was  the 
translation  of  the  New  Testament  which  he  com- 
menced in  November,  1521. 

The  need  of  a  German  Bible  became  more  ap- 


Building  Up  the  New.  129 

parent  to  him  as  events  in  Wittenberg  and  in  other 
cities  took  their  course.  He  valued  the  Scriptures 
above  everything  else  as  the  record  of  God's  revela- 
tion to  mankind,  and  as  the  guide-book  for  the  faith 
and  life  both  of  the  individual  Christian  and  of  the 
Church.  He  had  fought  the  tyranny  which  the 
Church  exercised  over  the  consciences  of  the  be- 
lievers ;  he  wanted  to  free  them  and  make  them  in- 
dependent of  human  authority,  grounded  only  on 
the  Bible  as  illumined  by  the  operation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  by  sane  grammatical  interpretation.  But 
this  shifting  of  the  seat  of  authority  necessitated 
the  study,  even  the  mastery,  of  the  record  of  God's 
revelation  by  the  individual  believer.  Christians 
must  be  rooted  and  grounded  in  God's  Word,  else 
their  growth  will  be  impeded  by  traditional  notions, 
or  they  may  be  carried  away  by  heedless  radicals. 
Thus  he  writes  from  the  Wartburg  to  his  congrega- 
tion at  Wittenberg:  "No  clearer  Book  has  been 
written  in  this  wide  world  than  the  Bible.  Com- 
pared with  all  other  books  it  is  like  the  sun  over  all 
other  lights.  Do  n't  let  them  lead  you  out  of  and 
away  from  it,  much  as  they  may  try  to  do  so. 
For  if  you  step  out,  you  are  lost;  they  take  you 
wherever  they  wish.  If  you  remain  within,  you 
will  be  victorious." 

Luther  was  by  no  means  the  first  one  to  conceive 
the  plan  of  translating  the  Bible  into  the  German 
language.  The  oldest  monument  extant  of  German 
Christian  literature  is  the  Gothic  Bible  of  Bishop 
Ulfilas,  who  died  in  the  year  383.  From  the  ninth 
century  we  possess  the  "Heliand,"  a  grand  epic, 
describing  the  life  of  the  Savior,  and  also  the  "Gos- 
9 


130  Luther:   The;   Leader. 

pel-Book"  of  the  monk  Otfried,  which  is  a  life  of 
Christ  in  verses.  When  the  art  of  printing  was  in- 
troduced, a  number  of  German  Bibles  were  printed ; 
at  the  time  when  Luther  commenced  his  work  there 
existed  at  least  fourteen  translations  in  High  Ger- 
man and  four  in  Low  German  dialects. 

But  they  all  were  based  upon  the  Vulgate,  the 
Latin  version  authorized  by  the  Church ;  they  were 
inaccurate ;  their  German  was  clumsy,  stiff ;  none 
of  them  was  widely  circulated  or  possessed  the  ele- 
ments that  would  bespeak  for  it  general  acceptance. 

It  was  Martin  Luther  who  created  a  book  for 
the  people ;  a  book  which  the  Germans  everywhere 
accepted,  which  they  read,  which  they  loved,  which 
molded  not  only  their  religious  and  moral  convic- 
tions, but  which  influenced  their  mode  of  thought 
and  manner  of  expression.  Luther  gave  to  his  peo- 
ple, not  merely  a  German  version  of  the  Bible,  but  a 
German  Bible.  No  book  has  ever  done  for  any  na- 
tion what  Luther's  Bible  did  for  the  Germans.  Its 
influence  upon  the  nation  was  even  greater  than 
that  of  the  English  Bible  upon  the  English  people. 
It  became  the  first  real  German  "Volksbuch,"  the 
most  powerful  agency  for  the  creation  and  unifica- 
tion of  the  German  language  and  ultimately  of  the 
German  nation. 

Erasmus  Albers,  a  contemporary  of  Luther  said : 
"Our  Lord  God  has  illumined  the  German  language 
through  Dr.  Martin  Luther.  He  has  not  only  shown 
us  the  true  religion,  but  also  given  us  our  language. 
He  is  the  German  Cicero."  Jacob  Grimm,  the 
highest  authority  on  Germanic  languages,  says  in 
the   Preface  to  his   German  grammar,   "Luther's 


Buii<DiNG  Up  the:  New.  131 

German  is  the  kernel  and  foundation  of  the  new 
High  German."  Luther's  Bible  is  still  the  great 
religious  and  moral  classic  of  the  Germans. 

Martin  Luther  possessed  all  the  necessary  quali- 
fications for  his  great  undertaking.  Although  his 
knowledge  of  the  original  languages  was  limited, 
he  knew  them  sufficiently  well  to  penetrate  into  the 
depth  and  very  essence  of  the  meaning  of  the  text. 
He  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  Bible  as  a  whole ; 
he  was,  as  it  were,  living  in  the  thoughts  of  the 
Bible.  This  was  of  paramount  importance ;  for,  as 
he  himself  says,  a  good  translation  "requires  a 
truly  devout,  faithful,  diligent  Christian, — a  learned, 
experienced,  practical  heart." 

In  the  next  place  he  had  a  perfect  mastery  of 
the  language  of  the  German  people.  His  humble 
birth,  his  constant  mingling  with  the  common  peo- 
ple, stood  him  in  good  stead.  No  one  among  his 
contemporaries  could  use  the  German  language 
m.ore  lucidly,  more  forcibly,  and  in  a  more  pleasing 
manner  to  suit  all  classes  of  society.  Natural  gifts 
and  incessant  practical  studies  united  to  make  him 
a  truly  linguistic  genius.  Add  to  these  traits  an  in- 
tense love  for  his  people,  to  whom  he  desired  to 
give  his  very  best,  with  a  diligence  and  care  almost 
incredible,  and  we  have  the  secret  of  his  success  as 
a  translator. 

It  was  a  difficult  task  which  Luther  set  him- 
self to  accomplish.  Linguistic  studies  were  in  their 
infancy ;  there  were  no  dictionaries,  no  concord- 
ances, no  grammars,  except  the  imperfect  attempts 
of  Reuchlin  and  of  Erasmus.  And  even  to  these 
scant  helps  Luther  had  no  access  on  the  Wartburg, 


132  Luthe:r:   The;   Le;ade;r. 

nor  was  he  in  a  position  to  consult  his  learned 
friends.  He  had  absolutely  nothing  but  the  Greek 
text  of  Erasmus,  printed  in  Basel  in  15 19,  and  the 
Vulgate.  But  he  resolutely  went  to  work,  and  when, 
in  March,  1522,  he  was  ready  to  leave  his  "Patmos," 
the  New  Testament  was  finished. 

There  was  in  the  sixteenth  century  no  language 
known  as  the  German  language.  There  were  a 
number  of  widely  divergent  German  dialects.  A 
comparison  of  Fritz  Renter's  Low  German  stories 
with  Johann  Peter  Hebel's  Alemanic  poems  will 
show  how  very  much  those  dialects  differ  from  one 
another  even  as  late  as  the  nineteenth  century. 
Luther  did  not  adopt  any  of  the  various  dialects  in 
vogue  at  that  time.  Pie  chose  the  language  used  in 
the  Saxon  government  offices,  and  also  imitated  by 
the  imperial  government  and  by  several  princes. 
In  a  certain  way  this  was,  even  at  that  time,  a  con- 
necting link  between  the  Northern  and  Southern 
dialects.  But  a  glance  at  the  edicts  of  the  emperors 
or  the  resolutions  of  the  Diets  shov.s  how  clumsy 
and  stiff  the  language  was.  Luther  divested  it  of 
its  stiffness,  awkward  complicateness,  and  ver- 
bosity. 

After  his  return  to  Wittenberg  he  spent  several 
months  with  Melanchthon  and  others  in  a  thorough 
revision  of  the  work.  Each  sheet  was  handed  to 
the  printer  as  soon  as  finished,  and  in  September, 
1523,  the  whole  New  Testament  was  issued  from 
the  press.  It  had  the  simple  title,  "Das  Newe  Tes- 
tament Deutzsch :  Vittenberg ;"  without  the  names 
of  either  translator  or  printer.  Luther  did  not  wish 
that  anybody  should  be  prejudiced  for  or  against 


Building  Up  the  New.  i33 

the  book  by  his  name,  which  was  by  this  time  well- 
nigh  worshiped  by  some,  execrated  by  others. 

The  sale  of  the  book  exceeded  all  expectations. 
The  first  edition  of  five  thousand  copies  was  sold 
in  less  than  three  months,  in  spite  of  the  high  price 
of  nearly  six  dollars,  according  to  the  present  mar- 
ket value  of  money.     In  some  countries  the  sale 
was   forbidden;    the  book  was  called  by    Roman 
theologians  more  harmful  than  the  magical  books 
of  the  Ephesians,  mentioned  in  the  Book  of  Acts 
(xix    19).    Dr.  Emser,  one  of  Luther's  opponents, 
claimed  to  have  found  no  less  than  1,400  errors  in 
the  translation;  but  when  he  was  requested  to  make 
a  version  of  his  own,  he  could  not  do  better  than 
to  use  Luther's  rendering,  simply  conforming  it  to 
the  text  of  the  Vulgate.     Luther  rightfully  said: 
"The  papists  steal  my  German,  of  which  they  knew 
little  before.    They  do  not  thank  me,  however,  but 
rather  use  it  against  me." 

Of  the  impression  made  upon  the  common  peo- 
ple we  have  the  unbiased  testimony  of  Cochlaus,  a 
contemporary  champion  of  Romanism.    He  writes: 
"Luther's  New  Testament  was  so  much  multiplied 
and  spread  by  printers  that  even  tailors  and  shoe- 
makers—nay,  even  women  and  ignorant  persons, 
who  could  read  but  little— studied  it  with  the  great- 
est avidity  as  the  fountain  of  truth.     Some  com- 
mitted it  to  memory  and  carried  it  about  in  their 
bosoms.   Within  a  few  months  such  people  deemed 
themselves  so  learned  that  they  were  not  ashamed 
to  dispute  about  the  faith  and  the  Gospel,  not  only 
with   Catholic  laymen,  but  even  with  priests  and 
monks  and  Doctors  of  Divinity."    How  it  influenced 


134  Luthe;r:  Thj;  Leader. 

the  more  cultured  classes  can  best  be  seen  by  the 
poems  of  Hans  Sachs  and  the  pictures  of  Albrecht 
Diirer. 

The  New  Testament  had  not  left  the  press  when 
Luther  commenced  translating  the  Old  Testament. 
But  now  the  greatest  difficulties  began.  He  called 
to  his  assistance  the  best  scholars  of  his  time :  Mt- 
lanchthon,  of  course ;  also  Matthew  Aurogallus, 
who  was  Professor  of  Hebrew  in  Wittenberg ;  John 
Forster,  a  pupil  of  Reuchlin ;  George  Rorer ;  Bern- 
hard  Ziegler,  afterwards  Professor  of  Hebrew  in 
Ansbach,  of  whom  Luther  wrote:  "I  greatly  dis- 
like to  see  him  leave,  since  he  is  the  most  learned, 
most  diligent,  most  pious,  and  most  painstaking  He- 
brew scholar  whom  I  know." 

"Ach  Gott !"  he  exclaimed,  "how  hard  and  la- 
borious it  is  to  compel  the  Hebrew  writers  to  speak 
German!  How  they  do  resist  and  refuse  to  leave 
their  Hebrew  and  imitate  the  barbaric  German 
tongue !  Just  as  if  one  tried  to  force  the  nightingale 
to  leave  her  fine  tune  and  imitate  the  cuckoo,  whose 
tone  she  abhors." 

To  a  friend  he  writes :  "I  openly  confess  that  I 
took  too  much  upon  myself  when  I  decided  to  trans- 
late the  Old  Testament.  The  Hebrew  language  is 
so  unfamiliar  that  even  the  Jews  do  not  know  much 
about  it.  I  thought  that  I  knew  a  little  something, 
and  now  I  find  that  I  do  not  even  understand  m.y 
own  native  tongue." 

But  the  work  progressed  in  spite  of  all  the  diffi- 
culties which  had  to  be  overcome.  The  Old  Tes- 
tament appeared  in  several  parts.  In  1523  the  Pen- 
tateuch was  printed,  in   1524  the  historical  books 


Building  Up  the  Ne;w.  i35 

followed.  The  translation  of  the  prophetic  and 
poetical  books  was  the  hardest  part  of  the  whole 
work.  Especially  the  Book  of  Job  tried  his  patience 
to  the  utmost.  "In  four  days  Master  Philippus, 
Aurogallus,  and  I  could  sometimes  hard  y  finish 
three  lines,"  he  complains,  and  adds  jokingly :  Old 
Job  seems  to  endure  our  attempts  at  translation  even 
less  graciously  than  the  consolations  of  his  friends 

He  spared  no  pains  to  make  the  version  both 
accurate  and  popular.  He  wrote  to  a  number  of 
learned  Humanists  inquiring  concerning  the  names 
of  coins;  he  requested  his  friend  Spalatin  to  study 
the  jewels  in  the  possession  of  the  Elector,  and  to 
give  him  their  exact  names;  he  inquired  of  me- 
chanics the  correct  designations  of  their  tools;  he 
even  had  a  butcher  kill  a  lamb  and  explain  to  him 
the  proper  terms  for  the  various  parts  used  in  the 
sacrificial  code  of  the  ancient  Hebrews. 

Though  accurate,  his  translation  does  not  claim 
to  be  literal.    "I  wanted  to  speak  German,  not  Latin 
nor  Greek,  when  I  began  to  translate.     You  can 
not  expect  to  learn  German  by  merely  looking  at 
the  Latin  letters;  you  must  inquire  of  the  mother 
in  the  house,  of  the  children  on  the  streets,  of  the 
common  man  in  the  market  place.     You  have  to 
watch  their  speech,  how  they  express  themselves, 
and  then  you  may  go  ahead  and  translate.     Ihen 
they  will  understand  you,  and  it  is  plain  to  them 
that  you  address  them  in  real  German."     Accord- 
ingly he  substituted  the  current  German  designa- 
tions   for  the    Hebrew   coins   and  measures   and 
weights,  and  speaks  of  Heller  and  Groschen,  of 
EUe,  Mass,  and  Schefifel. 


136  Luther:  The  Leader. 

Was  this  a  detriment?  The  man  who,  next  to 
Luther,  is  the  greatest  genius  Germany  ever  pro- 
duced, the  most  potent  factor  in  molding  the  Ger- 
man language  of  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  cen- 
turies, Goethe,  thinks  not.  Says  he:  "The  fact  is 
that  this  excellent  man  [Luther]  has  rendered  in 
the  vernacular,  just  as  of  one  mold,  a  work  written 
in  a  variety  of  styles,  containing  poetry,' historical 
records,  commands,  admonitions,  and  has  promoted 
the  cause  of  religion  more  than  if  he  had  tried  to 
imitate  the  peculiarities  of  the  original  in  every  de- 
tail." And  Goethe  confesses  that  he  is  dependent 
on  Luther  to  find  the  right  expression  for  the  deep- 
est emotions  of  the  human  soul. 

Luther  was  not  satisfied  with  the  first  word  that 
occurred  to  him.  "It  sometimes  happened  that  I 
looked  and  inquired  a  fortnight,  even  three  to  four 
weeks  for  a  good  word,  without  being  able  to  find 
what  I  wanted."  The  following  sentence  touching 
the  rendering  of  the  angel's  greeting  to  the  Virgin 
Mary  may  illustrate  his  painstaking  care:  "Liter- 
ally the  words  of  the  angel  would  have  to  be  given, 
'Mary  full  of  graces.'  But  where  do  you  hear  a 
German  use  this  expression?  As  soon  as  you  say 
'full'  he  will  think  of  a  barrel  full  of  beer,  or  of  a 
bag  full  of  money.  Therefore  I  translated,  'Du 
Holdselige.'  If  I  had  dared  to  use  the  very  best 
German,  I  should  have  said,  'Gott  grusse  dich,  du 
Hebe  Maria !' — God  greet  thee,  dear  Mary.  This  is 
exactly  what  the  angel  meant  to  say,  and  this  he 
would  have  said  had  he  spoken  in  German.  Every- 
body who  speaks  German  knows  how  hearty  and 
how  fine  these  words  sound,  'du  Hebe  Maria.' " 


Buii^DiNG  Up  the  New.  137 

At  last  the  task  was  accomplished.  In  1534  the 
whole  Bible,  including  some  of  the  apocryphal 
books,  was  printed. 

The  great  work  was  finished,  but  its  author 
never,  as  long  as  he  lived,  ceased  revising  and  im- 
proving it.  His  first  biographer,  John  Matthesius, 
gives  a  vivid  description  how  Luther  assembled  the 
best  scholars  of  his  own  university,  and  frequently 
invited  guests  from  abroad.  This/'Sanhedrin"  met 
once  a  week  in  his  home.  Each  one  had  thoroughly 
studied  the  particular  passage  under  discussion,  and 
had  consulted  the  Church  Fathers  and  commenta- 
tors;  often  one  or  the  other  of  the  company  had 
asked  the  opinion  of  learned  Jews  or  searched  the 
comments  of  the  rabbis.  The  Hebrew  text,  the 
Aramaic,  the  Greek,  the  Latin  versions  were  com- 
pared, and  the  meaning  of  the  passage  was  fully 
discussed  before  the  rendering  was  finally  settled 
upon. 

New  and  revised  editions  appeared  in  1541  and 
1543,  and  the  final  staindard  edition  in  I545- 

Hans  Lufft,  Luther's  printer,  sold  between  the 
years  1534  and  1575  over  one  hundred  thousand 
copies,  an  immense  sale  for  those  times.  Besides, 
there  were  fifty-two  reprints  in  other  cities,  there 
being  no  copyright.  "He  and  other  printers  made 
fortunes,  while  Luther  never  asked  nor  received  a 
copper  for  the  greatest  work  of  his  life." 

The  same  reasons  which  led  to  a  revision  of  the 
English  Bible  induced  the  German  scholars  to  re- 
vise Luther's  work.  In  the  city  of  Eisenach,  under 
the  shadow  of  the  Wartburg,  the  representatives  of 
the  German  State  Churches  resolved,  in  the  year 


138  Luther:  The;  Leader. 

1862,  to  intrust  the  work  of  revision  to  a  commis- 
sion of  the  best  scholars  of  Germany.  The  result 
of  their  labors  was  published  in  1883,  and,  after 
being  on  trial  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  the  final 
text  was  authorized  in  1892  by  the  "Eisenach 
Church  Conference."  Slowly  but  surely  this  re- 
vised version  is  being  adopted.  It  is  good  as  far 
as  it  goes,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  Luther  himself 
would  not  have  been  satisfied  with  it.  He  would 
have  made  more  sweeping  changes,  and  adapted  it 
more  to  the  language  of  the  twentieth  century. 

Luther's  Bible  was  the  basis  for  most  European 
versions.  Even  in  the  English  Bible  its  influence 
can  be  traced.  William  Tyndale  lived  in  Witten- 
berg from  1523  to  1526,  and  finished  the  transla- 
tion of  his  English  New  Testament  in  Luther's  uni- 
versity town.  He  knew  the  Reformer  personally, 
and  used  as  his  most  important  helps  the  Vulgate 
and  Luther's  translation.  Miles  Coverdale,  Tyn- 
dale's  successor,  published  the  whole  English  Bible 
in  1535  in  Antwerp,  and  his  work  is  based  largely 
upon  Tyndale  and  Luther. 

One  more  item  links  the  English-speaking  world 
to  Luther's  great  work.  In  the  very  first  edition 
of  his  New  Testament  he  had  printed  short  pre- 
faces to  the  several  books.  Of  these  the  most  com- 
prehensive and  important  is  the  Preface  to  the  Epis- 
tle to  the  Romans,  written  on  the  Wartburg.  This 
Preface  was  translated  into  English  and  read  quite 
extensively.  It  is  well  known  that  more  than  two 
hundred  years  later,  on  that  memorable  night  of 
the  24th  of  May,  1738,  in  a  society  meeting  in  Al- 
dersgate  Street  in  London,  while  some  one  was 


BUII.DING  Up  the  New.  i39 

reading  Luther's  Preface  to  the  Epistle  to  the 
Romans  at  a  quarter  before  nine,  John  Wesley  felt 
his  heart  strangely  warmed,  and  felt  that  he  did 
trust  in  Christ,  Christ  alone,  for  salvation.  And  it 
is  of  this  scene,  familiar  to  all  who  have  read  the 
history  of  Methodism,  that  Mr.  Lecky,  the  historian 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  says,  "It  is  scarcely  an 
exaggeration  to  say  that  the  scene  which  took  place 
at  that  humble  meeting  at  Aldersgate  Street  forms 
an  epoch  in  English  history." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
CHECKING   RELIGIOUS   FANATICISM. 

The  large  hall  of  the  Black  Bear  Tavern  in  the 
city  of  Jena  was  filled  with  a  motley  crowd  of 
guests  on  the  afternoon  of  a  rainy  March  day  in 
the  year  1522.  A  heavy  thunderstorm  had  driven 
citizens  and  travelers  from  the  streets,  and  many 
took  refuge  in  the  inn.  Among  the  latest  arrivals 
were  two  students  from  Switzerland  who  were  on 
their  way  to  the  University  of  Wittenberg.  Mod- 
estly they  took  chairs  near  the  door,  since  their 
clothes  were  soaking  wet  from  the  heavy  rain  and 
their  boots  covered  with  mud.  A  knight,  seated  at 
one  of  the  tables,  noticed  them,  called  them  to  his 
table,  and  treated  them  very  cordially.  To  their  as- 
tonishment he  inquired  about  various  schools  and 
professors,  and  was  evidently  well  acquainted  with 
the  leading  scholars.  They  were  still  more  amazed 
when  they  discovered  that  the  book  which  he  held  in 
his  hands  was  the  Hebrew  text  of  the  Psalms. 

Who  could  he  be?  They  surmised  that  it  was 
Knight  von  Sickingen ;  the  host  had  a  suspicion  that 
it  was  Luther ;  but  the  mysterious  stranger,  who 
had  requested  the  students  to  convey  his  greetings  to 
Dr.  Schurf  in  Wittenberg,  upon  being  asked  what 
name  they  should  mention,  smilingly  replied,  "Tell 
him  he  who  is  coming  sends  greetings." 
140 


BuiivDiNG  Up  the  Ne;w.  141 

A  few  days  after,  the  two  students  called  on  Dr. ' 
Schurf  in  Wittenberg,  and  to  their  surprise  the)' 
saw  in  his  house  the  same  knight.    It  was  Dr.  Mar- 
tin Luther, 

He  had  made  a  flying  trip  to  his  town  some 
months  before,  but  now  he  concluded  that  his  per- 
manent presence  was  necessary.  Melanchthon  had 
urged  him  to  return ;  the  City  Council  was  desirous 
to  have  him  back ;  affairs  in  the  university  and  the 
city  had  taken  such  a  turn  that  he  felt  duty  bound 
to  be  personally  present;  and,  consequently,  in  the 
face  of  dangers,  Luther,  excommtmicated  and  un- 
der the  ban  of  the  emperor  as  he  was,  the  well- 
meant  warnings  of  the  Elector  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding, left  his  quiet  retreat  and  openly  re- 
sumed his  work  as  professor  and  preacher  in  Wit- 
tenberg. 

From  the  maelstrom  of  world-politics  in  Worms 
he  was  suddenly  transferred  to  the  solitude  of  the 
Wartburg,  and,  again,  from  the  quiet  occupation  of 
translating  the  New  Testament  he  jumped,  just  as 
suddenly,  into  the  turmoil  and  agitation  of  mob  rule 
and  religious  fanaticism. 

New  ideas  make  minds  free,  but  immature 
minds  are  apt  to  mistake  liberty  for  license.  Every 
step  upward  brings  the  mountain-climber  nearer 
the  summit,  but  it  also  makes  the  precipice,  yawn- 
ing at  his  side,  deeper  and  more  dangerous.  Woe 
unto  him  if  dizziness  robs  his  eye  of  clearness,  his 
foot  of  steadiness !  Great  changes  in  the  moral  or 
social  conditions  of  peoples  are  always  accompanied 
by  unhealthy  disturbances.  The  path  to  health 
seems   to  lead  through  the  convulsions   of  acute 


142  LuThkr:   The;   LeadB^r. 

fever.  Not  only  the  noble  traits  are  called  into  ac- 
tion, but  bad  instincts  are  likewise  stirred  up.  There 
appear  on  the  surface  the  more  excitable,  unsteady 
elements,  also  the  baser  and  more  violent.  Those 
v/ho  are  dissatisfied  for  any  reason  with  the  exist- 
ing order  of  things,  think  the  time  has  come  to  vent 
their  feelings  of  discontent,  even  revenge ;  chronic 
and  professional  agitators  are  bred  with  astounding 
rapidity ;  minds  are  easily  unbalanced ;  recklessness 
and  foolish  impetuosity  are  mistaken  for  zeal ;  old 
things  are  attacked  needlessly  and  maliciously. 
"Down  with  the  old !"  is  the  war  cry,  while  the  new 
ideas  have  not  sufficiently  matured.  Destructive 
forces  are  rampant,  while  the  constructive  factors 
are  not  yet  at  work. 

When  existing  conditions  of  life  have  become 
antiquated ;  when  political  misgovernment,  social 
wrongs,  moral  and  religious  defects  are  keenly  felt 
and  freely  discussed ;  when  times  are  pregnant  with 
coming  changes, — then  rank  enthusiasm  easily 
usurps  the  place  of  sane  discernment ;  then  it  is  easy 
to  be  an  agitator,  but  tremendously  difficult  to  be 
a  sane  leader. 

It  never  was  very  difficult  to  arouse  the  popu- 
lace. The  "psychological  crowd"  will  follow  the 
leader  with  irresistible  force.  Even  under  favor- 
able conditions  there  is  much  truth  in  the  warning 
cry  of  Erasmus,  quoted  in  a  previous  chapter ;  but 
if  the  leader  is  a  mere  agitator,  or  if  he  loses  his 
head,  untold  disaster  is  sure  to  follow.  If  he  is 
weak,  the  crowd  in  its  mad  rush  will  overpower 
him,  trample  him  down,  and  be  plunged  into  de- 
struction. 


Building  Up  the  N^w.  143 

Luther  had  fought  the  pope  and  the  whole 
Roman  hierarchy ;  he  had  faced  the  emperor  and 
the  prhices ;  but  he  had  also  aroused  the  masses. 
Now  the  crisis  was  upon  him.  He  had  to  check 
the  seemingly  resistless  forces  which  he  himself  had 
set  free ;  he  had  to  give  the  supreme  proof  of  leader- 
ship by  facing  the  masses  and  restraining  them  from 
perverting  a  reformation  into  a  revolution. 

Martin  Luther  possessed  the  moral  courage  to 
undertake  it.  He  also  had  the  common  sense  and 
the  strength  which  are  necessary  to  accomplish  it. 

During  Luther's  absence,  Wittenberg  had  be- 
come a  hotbed  for  all  sorts  of  disturbances  and 
radical  movements.  Outbreaks  occurred  in  Er- 
furt and  other  cities.  In  the  former  place  sixty 
houses  belonging  to  the  clergy  were  stormed  and 
burned  down  within  a  few  days ;  the  inmates  were 
compelled  to  flee  for  their  lives.  Trouble  was 
brewing  in  Zwickau,  the  second  city  of  the  Elector- 
ate, situated  near  the  Bohemian  frontier.  There 
arose  prophets  and  dreamers  among  the  cloth- 
weavers,  who  constituted  the  most  numerous  class 
of  the  inhabitants.  They  set  aside  the  Bible  and 
held  themselves  inspired  by  God ;  they  proclaimed 
the  coming  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  which  all 
things  were  to  be  held  in  common,  and  they  felt 
called  by  God  to  prepare  the  way  by  throwing  down 
all  opposition. 

From  Erfurt,  from  Zwickau,  from  Bohemia,  and 
from  other  places,  all  sorts  of  religious  cranks  and 
fanatics  flocked  to  Wittenberg,  confident  of  their 
ability  to  assist  the  Reformers.  Melanchthon  did 
not  know  what  to  do ;  Karlstadt  lost  his  head.    His 


144  Luther:  The:  L,e;ade;r. 

ambition  to  take  the  first  place  in  the  reformatory 
movement  asserted  itself.  Here  was  his  chance, 
and  he  made  the  best  of  it.  He  precipitated  radical 
changes.  Mass  was  abolished;  the  altars  were  re- 
moved from  the  churches ;  the  pictures  were  taken 
away  and  burned  ;  the  mass-robes  of  the  priests  were 
torn  to  pieces ;  communion  was  administered  in 
both  forms ;  it  was  even  considered  sinful  to  par- 
take of  the  sacrament,  when  the  cup  was  withheld 
from  the  people ;  confession  preparatory  to  com- 
munion was  done  away  with ;  monks  were  urged 
to  abandon  the  monasteries ;  priests  were  impor- 
tuned to  get  married ;  Karlstadt  went  so  far  as  to 
teach  that  nobody  could  be  a  pastor  unless  he  had 
a  wife  and  children.  He  himself  set  a  good  example 
by  taking  a  wife  and  celebrating  his  marriage  with 
all  possible  publicity,  inviting  the  whole  town,  even 
the  Elector. 

In  a  short  time  thirteen  Augustinian  monks  left 
the  convent.  Some  former  monks  and  priests, 
among  them  men  of  unsavory  reputation,  married. 
On  the  streets  of  Wittenberg  one  could  see  men  and 
women  eat  meat  on  Fridays ;  they  thought  this  was 
an  open  confession  of  their  faith.  To  a  good  many 
gospel  liberty  consisted  in  showing  contempt  for 
the  existing  forms  of  worship  and  in  doing  away, 
in  the  most  radical  and  offensive  manner,  with 
everything  that  was  heretofore  held  sacred.  An 
Augustinian  monk  by  name  of  Zwilling  taught  from 
the  pulpit  that  no  one  wearing  a  monk's  hood  could 
be  saved.  He  wanted  all  monks  expelled  and  all 
convents  demolished. 

The  zeal  of  the  radicals  was  still  more  inflamed 


BuiivDiNG  Up  the  N^w.  145 

by  a  number  of  Zwickau  prophets,  who  came  to  Wit- 
tenberg. These  self-styled  prophets  could  neither 
read  nor  write,  but  they  were  full  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  boasted  of  special  revelations.  There 
was  really  no  more  need  of  going  to  school  or  of 
teaching,  since  men  arose  who  knew  everything  by 
immediate  revelation.  Professor  Karlstadt  advised 
his  students  to  leave  the  lecture  halls  and  become 
farmers,  because  farming  was  the  only  occupation 
which  enjoyed  the  approval  of  the  Holy  Book.  He 
himself  bought  a  farm  near  Wittenberg,  donned 
peasant's  clothes,  and  assumed  the  name  of 
"Brother  Andrew."  He  did  not,  however,  forget 
to  draw  regularly  his  salary  as  university  professor. 
One  of  the  school-teachers  publicly  warned  the  par- 
ents to  keep  the  children  away  from  school  since 
God  in  His  wisdom  saw  fit  to  save  the  world,  not  by 
man's  wisdom.  His  advice  was  followed,  and  the 
empty  schoolhouse  was  turned  into  a  bread  house 
for  the  poor.  Professor  Karlstadt  quit  studying. 
He  was  now  frequently  seen  going  to  some  ignorant 
tradesman  or  mechanic  with  his  Bible  under  his 
arm,  to  inquire  from  him  the  meaning  of  some  diffi- 
cult passage ;  for  it  pleased  God  to  reveal  himself  to 
the  simple-minded. 

Luther  was  kept  informed  of  the  developments 
in  Wittenberg.  He  wrote  a  strong  letter  to  Me- 
lanchthon,  denouncing  the  prophets  and  disapprov- 
ing the  radical  changes.  He  also  wrote  a  tract, 
"Admonition  to  All  Christians  to  Abstain  from  Riot 
and  Sedition,"  but  it  was  soon  clear  to  him  that 
nothing  short  of  his  personal  presence  could  cope 
with  the  perilous  situation. 


V 


146  IvUThi;r:  Th^  Le;ader. 

He  notified  the  Elector  of  his  intention,  but  was 
bidden  to  remain  in  his  concealment.  In  a  ver} 
kind  letter  Frederick  showed  him  the  embarrassing 
position  into  which  his  return  would  place  himself; 
the  emperor  and  some  of  the  princes  would  demand 
from  him  the  execution  of  the  ban,  and  he  would  not 
be  able  to  protect  him  any  longer. 

This  was  very  true.  Luther  was  excommuni- 
cated ;  he  was  an  outlaw.  His  only  safety  rested  in 
his  remaining  in  hiding.  The  only  man  willing  and 
able  to  protect  him  was  the  Elector.  What  would 
happen  if  Frederick  should  withdraw  his  sheltering 
hand? 

Luther  had  only  one  answer.  "I  am  needed," 
he  said,  and  remembering  that,  in  order  to  reach 
Wittenberg  he  had  to  traverse  the  territory  of  his 
fiercest  opponent,  Duke  George  of  Saxony,  he 
added :  "I  shall  go,  even  though  it  should  rain 
Duke  Georges  for  nine  days  in  succession,  each  one 
of  them  fiercer  than  the  original  duke  in  Dresden." 

"I  am  needed,"  he  wrote  to  the  Elector  the  night 
before  he  reached  Wittenberg,  in  a  letter  which 
Professor  De  Wette  calls  "an  admirable  monument 
of  lofty  faith  and  noble  courage."  "I  write  this  to 
apprise  you  that  I  am  on  my  way  to  Wittenberg, 
protected  by  One  who  is  higher  than  the  Elector. 
I  do  not  ask  for  the  protection  of  the  Elector;  I 
even  think  that  I  can  protect  him  better  than  he  can 
protect  me.  Did  I  think  that  I  had  to  put  my  trust 
in  the  Elector  I  should  not  come  at  all.  The  sword 
is  powerless  here.  God  alone  must  act  without 
man's  interference.  He  who  has  most  faith  will  be 
the  most  powerful  protector." 


Building  Up  the;  Ne;w.  147 

On  March  6,  1522,  he  was  back  in  Wittenberg. 
On  the  next  day  he  stood  in  his  pulpit.  The  gar- 
ments of  the  knight  were  discarded ;  he  wore  again 
his  accustomed  hood. 

For  eight  days  in  succession  Martin  Luther 
mounted  his  pulpit  and  preached  his  famous  "Eight 
Sermons."  Without  exaggeration  it  may  be  said 
that  Luther  was  at  his  best  in  delivering  these  ser- 
mons. Never  before  nor  after  did  he  show  more 
strength  mingled  with  moderation  and  forbearance, 
more  decision  and  firmness  mingled  with  tender 
love.  These  sermons  have  been  called  "models  of 
effective  popular  eloquence."  "Not  one  unkind 
word,  not  one  unpleasant  allusion  escaped  his  lips. 
In  plain,  clear,  strong,  Scriptural  language  he  re- 
futed the  errors  without  naming  the  errorists." 

Christian  liberty  and  Christian  charity  are  the 
two  leading  thoughts  of  the  sermons.  Christians 
are  free,  not  only  from  the  tyranny  of  the  papal 
Church,  which  would  force  the  conscience  into  wor- 
shiping in  certain  strictly  defined  forms,  but  they 
must  also  be  free  from  religious  radicalism,  which 
would  force  them  to  discard  all  forms.  Certain 
matters  must  be  left  free,  compulsion  is  unevangel- 
ical.  We  Christians  need  not  merely  faith  and  lib- 
erty, "we  need  charity,  without  which  even  faith 
availeth  nothing,"  the  preacher  continued.  "I  see 
that  you  all  know  how  to  speak  of  faith  and  love. 
This  is  nothing  remarkable.  If  it  is  even  possible  to 
teach  an  ass  how  to  sing,  should  you  not  be  able  to 
learn  that  much,  that  you  can  repeat  words  and  doc- 
trines? But  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  in  word, 
but  in  power  and  in  deed.    You  need  patience.  You 


148  Luther:   The   Leader. 

can  not  do  just  what  you  think  is  right  for  you,  but 
you  must  know  how  to  waive  your  right  and  see 
what  is  good  and  expedient  considering  your 
brother." 

"I  should  not  have  carried  things  as  far  as  you 
have,  had  I  been  here.  The  thing  itself  is  good, 
but  your  zeal  was  too  impetuous.  There  are 
brothers  and  sisters  on  the  other  side,  and  they  must 
be  won  over  to  us.  Let  your  faith  be  firm,  but  your 
love  be  governed  by  the  needs  of  your  neighbor." 

"Granted  that  some  innovations  are  according 
to  Scripture,  they  must  be  accomplished  with  due 
regard  to  law  and  order.  If  you  had  prayed  ear- 
nestly to  God  and  had  brought  your  influence  to 
bear  upon  the  proper  authorities,  then  you  could 
rest  assured  that  God's  will  is  being  done.  It  is 
out  of  place  to  overthrow  even  bad  things  in  a  dis- 
orderly manner." 

"Summa  summarum,"  the  preacher  ended :  "I 
will  preach,  speak,  write,  but  I  will  force  no  one ; 
for  faith  must  be  voluntary.  Take  me  as  an  exam- 
ple. I  stood  up  against  the  pope,  indulgences,  and 
all  papists,  but  without  violence  or  uproar.  I  only 
preached,  urged,  and  declared  God's  Word,  noth- 
ing else.  And  yet,  while  I  was  asleep,  or  drinking 
Wittenberg  beer  with  my  Philip  Melanchthon  and 
Amsdorf,  the  Word  inflicted  greater  injury  on 
popery  than  prince  or  emperor  ever  did.  I  did  noth- 
ing; the  Word  did  everything.  Had  I  appealed, to 
force,  all  Germany  might  have  been  deluged  with 
blood ;  yea,  I  might  have  kindled  a  conflict  at 
Worms,  so  that  the  emperor  would  not  have  been 
safe.     But  what  would  have  been  the  result?   Ruin 


Building  Up  the;  NiJvv.  149 

and  desolation  of  body  and  soul.  I  therefore  kept 
quiet  and  gave  the  Word  free  course  through  the 
world.  The  Word  is  almighty  and  takes  captive 
the  hearts." 

The  immediate  effects  of  these  sermons  was 
one  of  Luther's  great  triumphs.  Order  and  peace 
were  re-established.  The  prophets,  convinced  that 
Luther's  piety  was  of  an  inferior  order,  left  for 
more  promising  fields  after  the  Reformer,  in  a  pri- 
vate interview,  had  given  them  a  piece  of  his  mind. 
Karlstadt  went  to  the  little  town  of  Orlamiinde. 
His  best  days  were  a  thing  of  the  past.  After  lead- 
ing a  roaming  life  for  some  years  he  died  of  the 
plague.  The  other  radicals  asked  for  pardon  and 
went  about  their  business.  Regular  lectures  were 
resumed  in  the  university,  and  the  students  had  to 
learn  their  lessons  instead  of  attempting  to  solve 
the  social  and  religious  problems. 

A  number  of  Church  ceremonies  which  Luther 
did  not  deem  misleading  or  harmful,  and  to  which 
the  people  were  accustomed,  were  restored ;  only 
those  parts  of  the  service  which  were  not  compati- 
ble with  evangelical  truth  were  definitely  abolished. 
Luther  claimed  that  true  liberty  shows  itself  in  tol- 
erating non-essentials  in  order  to  spare  the  weak 
brother.  Said  he:  "If  alone,  I  can  wield  a  naked 
sword  as  I  please,  but  in  a  crowd  I  must  beware 
lest  by  my  carelessness  I  injure  others."  These 
concessions  to  the  weaker  consciences  were  to  be 
gradually  removed.  People  were  to  be  educated 
to  the  use  of  their  liberty,  but  they  were  not  to  be 
compelled.  It  was  in  perfect  harmony  with  these 
liberal  sentiments  that  he  wrote  to  Spalatin  to  take 


I50  Luther:   The;   Leader. 

care  that  the  Elector  did  not  defile  his  hands  with 
the  blood  of  the  Zwickau  enthusiasts. 

Naturally  Luther  was  criticised  severely  on  ac- 
count of  his  moderation.  Many  called  him  a  reac- 
tionary. Said  one  of  them:  "I  do  not  care  for 
those  painted  evangelists  in  Wittenberg;  they  only 
lead  the  people  by  the  nose.  We  want  prophets 
who  do  things." 

There  were  certainly  many  problems  to  be 
solved  and  many  innovations  to  be  made  which  re- 
quired utmost  prudence  on  the  part  of  the  Re- 
former. The  Elector,  for  instance,  although 
Luther's  friend  and  protector,  was  deeply  attached 
to  some  of  the  ancient  usages.  The  pride  of  his 
heart  was  the  collection  of  sacred  relics  in  the 
Castle  Church  in  Wittenberg.  In  the  year  1509  it 
numbered  5,005  pieces;  in  1520  it  had  increased  to 
17,850  pieces.  Every  year  on  All-Saints'  Day  the 
people  -poured  .into  the  old  church  to  view  these 
relics.  Thousands  of  private  masses — 9,901  in  all 
— had  to  be  read  every  year ;  they  were  paid  for  by 
pious  persons,  attracted  by  the  precious  relics. 
Luther  could  not  keep  silent.  He  more  than  once 
offended  his  aged  prince  by  preaching  against  the 
worship  of  relics  and  against  private  masses,  and 
begging  of  Frederick  to  reform  this  "Bethaven." 

How  was  it  possible,  we  may  ask,  that  Luther 
remained  undisturbed  in  the  broad  daylight  of  pub- 
licity? The  answer  is  to  be  found  in  the  political 
situation.  At  first  the  imperial  government  urged 
the  Elector  to  execute  the  ban ;  the  new  pope,  Had- 
rian VL  who  succeeded  Leo  in  January,  1522,  sent 
letters  and  legates  to  Frederick  and  to  the  Diet  of 


Buii<DiNG  Up  the  Nkw.  151 

Nurnberg.  Frederick,  as  usual,  took  no  decisive 
steps.  Upon  his  request,  Luther  wrote  a  letter  to  him, 
stating  that  he  had  returned  to  Wittenberg  against 
his  sovereign's  wish  for  the  purpose  of  quelling  the 
seditions  and  disorders.  In  view  of  his  marked  suc- 
cess, and  considering  the  many  signs  of  rising  dis- 
satisfaction and  threatening  revolution,  the  imperial 
government  did  not  dare  to  molest  him  lest  he  might 
be  driven  over  to  the  knights,  who  were  preparing 
war  against  the  Church  and  the  princes,  or  to  the 
peasants,  who  rose  in  arms  against  all  existing 
order. 

The  situation  was  changed.  The  events  which 
had  occurred  in  the  little  town  of  Wittenberg  con- 
vinced even  the  dull  politicians,  in  whose  hands  the 
government  of  Germany  rested,  that  there  was  but 
one  man  strong  enough  to  check  the  dreaded  revo- 
lutionary movements;  and  this  man  was  Martin 
Luther. 


/ 


CHAPTER  XV. 

AGAINST  THE  SOCIAL  REVOLUTION- 
ISTS. 

/  The  first  decades  of  the  sixteenth  century  were 
turbulent  times.  It  was  a  period  of  transitions  and 
of  changing  conditions.  Social  and  political  condi- 
tions which  had  lasted  for  centuries  appeared  like 
garments  that  had  become  too  small.  The  growing 
youth  feels  how  they  pinch  and  sees  how  ill  they 
fit;  he  is  impatient  to  get  rid  of  them,  but  his  new 
suit  is  not  quite  finished ;  he  does  n't  know  how  it 
will  look ;  in  fact,  he  does  n't  know  whether  he  will 
have  one  at  all. 

The  religious  movement  we  call  the  German 
Reformation  was  by  no  means  an  isolated  phenom- 
enon. It  was  the  most  significant  of  a  number  of 
movements  for  greater  freedom,  and  since  it 
touched  the  most  important  phase  of  human  life,  the 
religious  nature,  it  gave  color  and  strength  to  the 
contemporaneous  movements. 

The  old  feudal  system  of  the  Middle  Ages  was 
slowly  giving  way  to  a  new  social  structure  reared 
on  the  basis  of  commerce  and  free  citizenship.  The 
discoveries  and  conquests  of  new  continents  had 
given  an  unprecedented  rise  to  commerce  as  car- 
ried on  by  the  citizens  of  the  free  cities.  The  citi- 
zens, heretofore  of  little  significance  in  comparison 
152 


BUII.DING  Up  the:  New.  i53 

with  the  knights,  rose  into  prominence.  Owing  to 
the  changed  mode  of  warfare  it  became  evident  that 
their  weahh  was  of  greater  importance  to  the  kings 
and  princes  than  the  strong  castles  and  the  heavy 
cuirasses  of  the  knights. 

The  accumulation  of  wealth  in  the  cities  had  as 
its  concomitant  a  more  luxurious  mode  of  living. 
Unknown  luxuries  were  imported  and  displayed  by 
the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  wealthy  burghers. 
The  discovery  of  gold  in  America  lessened  the  pur- 
chase value  of  money.  While  all  these  changes 
were  taking  place,  the  knights,  whose  position  be- 
came more  precarious  every  year,  had  no  additional 
means  of  income  to  compete  with  the  merchants, 
unless  it  was  to  appropriate  the  possessions  of  the 
Church  organizations  or  to  levy  higher  taxes  on 
their  peasants. 

There  was  also  a  widespread  and  growing  dis- 
satisfaction among  the  peasants  and  laborers.  They 
were  looking  for  an  opportunity  to  shake  off  the 
oppressive  yoke  of  feudalism  and  of  bond-servitude.^ 
Their  position  became  nearly  unbearable.  The 
change  from  an  agricultural  to  a  monetary  basis  ^ 
marks  the  beginning  of  our  modern  trusts.  Com- 
panies were  formed  which  bought  up  the  necessities 
of  life  and  raised  the  prices.  The  cost  of  living  in- 
creased, wages  did  not  increase.  The  citizens  be- 
came overbearing  towards  the  peasants,  the  knights 
grew  more  oppressive.  Stories  of  untold  riches, 
of  whole  mountains  of  gold  which  were  discovered 
in  the  new  countries  beyond  the  seas,  were  circu- 
lated. "Walking  delegates"  stirred  up  the  flames 
of  discontent  by  dwelling  upon  the  sufferings  and 


154  Luthe;r:   The;   LeIadkr. 

the  wrongs  of  the  poor.  No  one  knew  where  these 
agitators  came  from ;  they  appeared,  scattered  the 
seeds  of  sedition,  left  incendiary  pamphlets,  and 
were  gone  again.  Leagues  were  formed  and  revo- 
lutions broke  out  here  and  there.  They  were  im- 
mediately put  down  by  force  of  arms,  but  the  fire 
kept  smoldering  under  the  ashes.  All  that  was 
necessary  was  to  apply  the  torch  to  this  mass  of 
combustible  material,  and  the  whole  civilized  world 
was  aflame. 

The  movements  tending  to  a  social  revolution 
were  entirely  independent  of  Luther's  work.  A 
revolution  would  have  broken  out  even  if  Martin 
Luther  had  never  lived.  But  the  impulses  which 
he  gave  brought  many  latent  powers  into  activity 
and  hastened  the  consummation  of  the  impending 
and  unavoidable  upheaval. 

It  was  evident  at  the  Diet  of  Worms  that  the 
party  of  the  knights  considered  Luther  a  valuable 
ally.  They  were  ready  to  introduce  a  religious 
plank  into  their  platform,  "Away  from  Rome! 
Down  with  the  ecclesiastical  princes!"  was  their 
political  motto,  and  as  it  happened  that  their  ene- 
mies were  the  foes  of  Luther  and  the  Gospel,  the 
knights  added  to  their  battle-cry  the  words,  "For 
a  free  Gospel."  When  Franz  von  Sickingen  ac- 
tually commenced  war  against  the  princes,  he  gave 
to  his  army  the  motto,  "Blessed  death  for  the  Gos- 
pel, or  glorious  victory !"  and  his  horsemen  wore 
emblazoned  upon  their  coat-sleeves  the  words,  "O 
Lord,  Thy  will  be  done !"  They  used  Luther's 
name,  and  connected  their  cause  with  his. 

In  his  "Address  to  the  German  Nobility"  Luther 


Building  Up  the  Nj^vv.  155 

appealed  to  the  princes  and  knights  to  Hberate  the 
nation  from  the  foreign  yoke.  He  was  fully  in  har- 
mony v/ith  the  plan  of  compelling  the  ecclesiastical 
dignitaries  to  surrender  their  dominions,  but  held 
that  this  should  be  done  by  resolution  of  the  Diet, 
in  accordance  with  law  and  order.  He  discounte- 
nanced any  and  every  revolutionary  measure,  and, 
therefore,  refused  to  enter  into  an  alliance  with 
the  political  party  of  the  knights. 

The  crushing  defeat  which  Franz  von  Sickingen 
and  his  party  suffered,  naturally  heightened 
Luther's  precarious  position  for  the  time  being. 
"The  enemy  of  the  emperor  is  defeated,  next  comes 
the  enemy  of  the  pope,"  was  the  cry  raised  by  some 
princes.  But  they  were  prevented  from  executing 
the  edict  of  Worms  by  the  storms  of  the  Peasants' 
War,  which  broke  out  with  all  the  fury  of  element- 
ary forces. 

The  knights  were  not  the  only  ones  who  linked 
their  cause  with  the  cause  of  religion.  The  peas- 
ants did  the  same.  Just  as  at  the  end  of  the  eight- 
eenth century  the  French  Revolutionists,  tired  of 
bearing  their  misery  any  longer,  persuaded  them- 
selves that  they  put  into  reality  the  beautiful  motto, 
"Liberte,  Egalite,  Fraternite,"  which  was  advanced 
and  explained  by  the  philosophers,  so  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  sixteenth  century  the  German  Revo- 
lutionists were  inspired  by  the  thought  that  they 
were  to  carry  out  into  practical  life  Luther's  great 
doctrine  of  the  liberty  of  the  Christian. 

The  common  people  had  hitherto  obeyed  im- 
plicitly the  laws  of  the  Church  as  well  as  the  laws 
of  the  secular  rulers,  without  questioning  the  au- 


156  Luthe;r:  Thb;  Mader. 

thority  of  the  lawgivers  or  the  vaUdity  of  the  laws. 
They  saw  that  Luther  and  his  adherents  made  them- 
selves free  from  the  authority  of  the  Church  and 
declared  her  laws  as  not  binding.  How  about  the 
secular  laws? 

If  men  are  made  free  by  Christ,  purchased  by 
His  blood,  why  should  they  be  the  bond-servants 
of  men?  H  God's  Word  is  to  be  the  highest  au- 
thority in  religious  matters,  why  not  in  social  and 
civic  matters  likewise?  If  the  Church  was  rotten 
and  needed  reform,  why  not  the  State?  If  the 
claims  of  the  pope  and  the  clergy  were  to  be  re- 
jected because  they  contradicted  the  Scriptures, 
why  should  the  unjust  demands  of  the  secular 
princes  be  heeded  ?  If  the  common  man  is  a  priest 
and  has  the  right  to  reform  matters  pertaining  to 
worship  and  Church  administration  and  privileges 
of  the  clergy,  why  should  he  not  have  equal  right 
to  reform  matters  pertaining  to  secular  adminis- 
tration, to  taxes,  wages,  and  privileges  of  the  land- 
owners ? 

Social  revolutionism  and  religious  fanaticism 
formed  a  dangerous  alliance.  Luther's  powerful 
personality  had  checked  the  tide  of  religious  fanat- 
icism in  Wittenberg.  But  the  fanatics  were  still 
alive,  and  their  dreams  and  revelations  found  ready 
acceptance  in  other  places.  The  religious  radicals 
hoped  that  the  swords  and  halberds  of  the  peasants 
would  speedily  bring  victory  to  their  cause,  the  lat- 
ter fondly  imagined  that  the  religionists  would 
prove  their  demands  as  founded  upon  the  Bible. 
And  there  were  many  who  considered  religious  and 
civil  liberty  as  necessary  concomitants;  others,  es- 


Building  Up  thu  Ne;w.  157 

pecially  former  monks  and  priests,  became  easily 
unbalanced,  and  added  to  their  religious  radicalism 
the  fury  of  social  fanaticism.  Many  of  them  were 
mystics  who  dreamed  about  the  signs  and  numbers 
of  the  Apocalypse,  and  spoke  in  glowing  terms  and 
in  apocalyptic  imagery  of  the  approaching  kingdom 
of  God  in  which  all  misery  and  oppression  was  to 
cease.  The  time  had  come,  according  to  their 
minds,  when  this  kingdom  was  to  be  established,  if 
need  be,  by  force  of  arms,  and  the  tyrants  who  stand 
in  the  way  of  the  realization  of  God's  plans  must  be 
strangled  like  mad  dogs. 

Among  the  most  dangerous  of  this  type  of  lead- 
ers was  Thomas  Munzer,  who  organized  the  cloth - 
weavers  of  Zwickau  for  the  purpose  of  establishing 
the  kingdom.  He  combined  genuine  sympathy  with 
the  misery  of  the  submerged  classes  with  unbounded 
fanaticism  and  hatred  against  Church,  State,  and 
society.  Being  a  popular  orator  his  passionate  elo- 
quence aroused  the  people  wherever  he  appeared. 
"At  it !  at  it,  while  the  fire  is  hot !  Keep  your 
swords  warm  with  blood !"  he  called  to  the  miners 
in  Luther's  boyhood  home. 

In  South  Germany  leagues  and  unions  were 
formed,  and  twelve  articles  were  drawn  up,  setting 
forth  the  demands  of  the  peasantry.  This  document 
was  a  peculiar  mixture  of  religious  and  political 
issues;  it  is  an  illustration  of  the  ideas  and  ideals 
by  which  many  minds  were  actuated.  The  arti- 
cles were  based  on  the  Mosaic  law  and  other  Scrip- 
ture passages,  and  demanded  that  no  civil  laws 
should  be  recognized  as  binding  unless  they  could 
be  proven  from  the  Scriptures.    The  immediate  ef- 


158  Luthe;r:   Th^  Lkader. 

fects  of  these  articles  were  tremendous.  They  were 
regarded  as  the  newly  discovered  law  of  God. 

All  eyes  turned  toward  Luther.  Would  he  give 
his  support  to  the  cause  of  civil  liberty  based  upon 
religious  liberty?  It  seemed  as  if  he  could  not  do 
anything  else,  especially  since  the  opponents  of  the 
peasants  were  his  foes  and  the  enemies  of  the  Gos- 
pel. 

This  was  a  critical  juncture.  The  peasants'  up- 
rising was,  as  has  been  repeatedly  stated  by  his- 
torians, the  greatest  social  movement  in  the  history 
of  Germany ;  the  Reformation,  inaugurated  by 
Luther,  was  the  greatest  religious  movement  since 
the  days  of  the  apostles.  Luther  was  the  man  who 
had  it  in  his  hands  to  unite  the  two  powerful  forces. 

What  did  he  do? 

He  certainly  was  not  lacking  in  patriotism.  His 
"Address  to  the  German  Nobility"  and  other  tracts 
prove  this  conclusively.  Moreover,  he  knew  that 
religious  progress  could  not  be  isolated ;  its  influence 
must  be  felt  in  the  civic  life  of  the  nation.  He  cer- 
tainly had  a  warm  heart  for  the  common  people. 
He  deeply  sympathized  and  worked  for  the  better- 
ment of  their  condition. 

But  there  were  several  weighty  reasons  which 
led  him  to  keep  aloof,  nay,  to  oppose,  the  cause  of 
the  peasants.  He  was  unalterably  adverse  to  the 
use  of  force.  Violent,  revolutionary  measures 
must,  in  his  opinion,  never  be  resorted  to.  The 
government  is  to  him  a  divine  institution;  if  those 
in  authority  misuse  their  power,  God  will  punish 
them ;  but  no  Christian  has  a  right  to  seek  redress 
with  his  sword  or  halberd.     Luther  had  such  tre- 


Building  Up  Thij  Ne;w.  159 

mendous  faith  in  the  transforming  power  of  the    :,, 
Word  of  God  that  he  was  firmly  convinced  that 
the  changes  in  the  outward  conditions  would  ensue 
in  due  time  as  the  necessary  results  of  the  inner 
change  in  the  souls  of  the  individuals.    The  inner, 
spiritual  change,  the  salvation  of  one's  soul,  was  cj 
the  matter  of  paramount  interest.     For  any  com- 
pany of  men  to  seek  betterment  of  outward  condi- 
tions, without  having  experienced  in  their  souls  the 
saving  power  of  God,  appeared  to  him  useless,  and 
in  case  violence  was  resorted  to,  it  was  reprehensi-   -^ 
ble  in  the  highest  degree. 

These  considerations  were  the  principles  under- 
lying his  tract,  "Exhortation  to  Peace  Respecting 
the  Twelve  Articles."  In  the  first  part  of  this  treat- 
ise he  reproves  in  passionate  language  the  princes  / 
and  the  nobility  for  the  misuse  of  their  power.  They 
are  to  be  blamed  for  the  present  sedition,  since  they 
obstinately  fight  against  the  Gospel  and  oppress  the 
common  people  till  they  can  no  longer  bear  it.  "You 
must  give  room  to  God's  Word.  If  you  do  not 
yield  out  of  your  own  free  will,  you  will  be  com- 
pelled by  defeats  and  distress.  Even  if  those  peas- 
ants should  fail  to  humble  and  chastise  you,  others 
will  not.  God  will  punish  you.  The  people  can  not 
and  will  not  suffer  your  tyranny  and  wantonness 
much  longer.  God  will  tolerate  it  no  longer.  The 
world  is  no  more  what  it  formerly  was,  when  you 
used  to  drive  and  chase  the  people  like  beasts  of 
the  field."  To  say  that  his  teaching  is  the  cause  of  JWf 
the  revolt  is  to  blaspheme.  Everybody  must  tes- 
tify that  he  taught  in  all  quietness,  opposed  rebel- 
lion, admonished  the  subjects  to  obey  their  rulers. 


i6o  Luther:  Thi^  Leade;r. 

even  those  who  were  tyrannical.  If  God,  in  order 
to  punish  them,  permits  the  devil  through  false 
prophets  to  incite  the  mob,  it  is  surely  not  his  fault. 

It  certainly  can  not  be  said  that  Luther  defended 
the  princes  or  had  no  eyes  for  the  many  wrongs 
they  perpetrated.  His  language  is  as  plain  as  lan- 
guage can  be,  and  utterly  fearless. 

But  he  also  turns  to  the  peasants.  He  warns 
'1^  them  not  to  call  their  league  a  "Christian"  union. 

God  has  nothing  to  do  with  their  undertaking. 
Wrongs  perpetrated  by  those  in  authority  are  no 
excuse  for  rebellion.  If  the  rulers  refuse  to  do 
right,  God  will  find  a  way  to  punish  them,  but 
Christians  must  always  defend  law  and  order 
against  mob-rule,  self-help,  and  anarchy.  The  revo- 
lutionists can  not  call  upon  God,  since  they  rely  ex- 
clusively on  their  own  fists.  The  Christian  way  is 
to  conquer  evil  by  suffering  and  crying  to  God  for 
help. 

Before  this  tract  was  printed,  the  storm  had 
broken  forth ;  first  in  South  Germany,  then  rapidly 
spreading  toward  the  north.  The  primitive  and 
animal  fury,  nourished  by  centuries  of  suffering, 
pent  up  so  long  a  time,  finally  burst  the  valves  and 
raged  in  full  force.  Deeds  of  unspeakable  cruelty 
were  committed.  Those  troops  of  infuriated  peas- 
ants were  worse  than  savage  beasts.  The  leaders, 
such  as  they  were,  had  lost  all  control  over  them. 
And  yet  they  still  thought  they  were  executing  the 
will  of  God;  one  of  the  troops  called  itself  "the 
Army  of  God." 

When  the  peasants  and  miners  of  Saxony  be- 
gan to  rise,  thereby  embittering  the  last  days  of  the 


Building  Up  the  Ne;w.  i6i 

good  Elector,  who  was  dying  in  Torgau,  Luther 
went  to  a  number  of  villages,  preaching  and  warn- 
ing them  to  desist  and  not  be  misled  by  the  tricks  of 
demagogues.  He  writes  that  he  was  in  the  midst 
of  rebellious  crowds,  and  traveled  among  them, 
often  being  in  danger  of  his  life.  "But  the  more  I 
exhorted  the  plundering  peasants,  the  more  obsti- 
nate, the  prouder,  the  madder  they  became." 

Luther  heard  of  unspeakable  atrocities.  He  saw 
the  smoke  of  burning  castles  and  villages.  The 
drunken  and  ferocious  mob  neared  Wittenberg.  His 
indignation  was  thoroughly  aroused ;  he  sat  down 
and  wrote  what  was  no  doubt  the  fiercest  and  most 
passionate  treatise  he  ever  penned,  "Against  the 
Murderous,  Rioting  Bands  of  Peasants."  The  peas- 
ants have  deserved  death  on  account  of  three  sins. 
In  the  first  place  they  have  broken  the  oath  of  al- 
legiance and  have  compelled  others  to  do  likewise. 
Next  they  are  robbers  and  murderers ;  and,  thirdly, 
they  try  to  justify  their  knavery  by  the  Bible. 
"Therefore  flee  from  the  peasants,  whoever  can,  as 
from  the  devil  himself;  therefore,  good  lords,  lib- 
erate, save,  have  compassion  with  the  poor  people, 
but  do  not  hesitate  to  cut,  knock  down,  and  kill. 
This  is  a  service  of  love,  to  save  your  neighbor  from 
the  bonds  of  the  devil  and  of  hell." 

Retribution  came  quickly.  The  nobility  rallied 
and  defeated  the  poorly  trained  crowds  of  peasants. 
Now  the  tables  were  turned,  and  the  noblemen  grat- 
ified their  revenge  and  rancor  in  a  most  beastly 
manner.  With  what  measure  the  peasants  meted,  it 
was  measured  to  them  again,  and  they  received  good 
measure,  pressed  down,  shaken  together  and  over- 
II 


i62  Luthe;r:   The;  Leader. 

flowing.  It  is  estimated  that  about  one  hundred 
thousand  peasants  lost  their  hves  in  this  war,  many 
of  them  after  having  been  subjected  to  excruciating 
tortures. 

Aside  from  the  terrible  cruelties  inflicted  upon 
the  misled  and  helpless  peasants,  which  stunned 
all  Germany  for  the  time  being,  it  was  clear  that 
the  cause  of  liberty  had  received  a  deadly  blow. 

It  was  not  till  after  the  defeat  of  the  peasants 
that  Luther's  bloodthirsty  pamphlet  became  gener- 
ally known.  His  enemies  were  zealous  in  circulat- 
ing it,  and  it  caused  a  great  outcry  against  him. 
Popular  favor  quickly  changed  into  its  opposite. 
But  a  short  time  ago  the  monk  of  Wittenberg  was 
the  idol  of  the  common  people,  and  now  it  seemed 
as  if  he  had  lost  all  his  friends.  And  it  seemed  as 
if  the  Reformation  could  now  effectually  be  crushed. 

Luther  was  held  responsible  for  all  the  misery 
of  the  fatal  war,  for  the  ruined  castles,  the  devas- 
tated fields,  the  ravaged  villages,  and  all  the  untold 
sufferings.  Even  Erasmus  wrote,  "Here  you  see 
the  fruits  of  your  spirit."  The  princes  accused  him 
of  having  incited  the  peasants ;  the  latter  reproached 
him  for  having  forsaken  them  in  their  distress. 

The  Romanists  thought  the  time  had  now  come 
for  carrying  out  the  Edict  of  Worms  which  placed 
Luther  and  his  adherents  under  the  ban  of  the  em- 
pire. Everywhere  the  evangelicals  were  persecuted. 
In  the  little  country  of  Wiirttemberg  alone  over 
forty  preachers  were  hanged  or  burned  at  the  stake. 
Dr.  Emser  and  the  other  literary  opponents  of 
Luther  wTote  sarcastic  tracts  on  "The  Unmasked 
Beast,  Luther;"  the  Humanists  turned  away  from 


BuiivDiNG  Up  the:  New.  163 

him.  Their  quiet  studies  were  disturbed  too  much ; 
they  were  quite  unable  to  improve  their  Latin  style, 
write  polite  poetry,  and  philosophize  when  there 
was  a  revolution  going  on.  And  Elector  Frederick 
the  Wise,  Luther's  lifelong  friend  and  protector, 
was  dead. 

The  reactionary  movement  set  in  in  good  ear- 
nest and  threatened  to  bury  Martin  Luther  and  his 
work. 

The  Peasants'  War,  like  a  blighting  frost,  chilled 
the  hopes  for  a  general  reformatory  movement 
among  all  classes  of  German  society.  It  was  not 
like  a  thunderstorm,  purifying  the  atmosphere  and 
bringing  relief,  but  like  a  cyclone,  leaving  nothing 
but  ruin  and  desolation  in  its  path.  "The  aspect 
of  Germany  has  never  been  more  pitiful  than  it  is 
now,"  complained  Luther. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
MARRIAGE  AND  FAMILY  LIFE. 

Ir*  there  had  been  daily  newspapers  as  early  as 
1525  the  reporters  in  the  city  of  Wittenberg  would, 
on  the  eve  of  June  13,  1525,  have  found  material 
for  some  highly  sensational  news.  The  papers  of 
the  following  morning  might  have  reported  with 
glaring  headlines  the  marriage  of  a  runaway  Ber- 
nardine  nun  to  a  former  Augustinian  monk.  The 
monk  was  none  other  than  Martin  Luther,  There 
were  no  newspapers  at  that  time,  nevertheless  the 
news  of  the  marriage  spread  rapidly,  and  caused 
everywhere  no  little  sensation. 

A  great  many  of  his  friends  were  shocked  and 
grieved.  His  intimate  friend,  the  lawyer  Schurf, 
exclaimed,  "If  this  monk  takes  a  wife,  the  whole 
v\'orId,  even  the  devil,  will  laugh,  and  his  whole 
work  will  come  to  nought."  Melanchthon,  who  did 
not  attend  the  marriage  ceremony,  poured  out  his 
heart  in  a  long  letter  in  the  Greek  language,  com- 
plaining bitterly  that  "this  man  of  God  was  roped 
in  by  some  shrewd  nun."  The  enemies  of  the  Re- 
former were  jubilant.  Now,  at  last,  the  true  char- 
acter of  the  monk  had  come  to  light.  His  whole 
opposition  against  the  Church  sprang  from  impure. 
personal  motives.  His  controlling  passion  was  lust ; 
he  was  carnal,  fell  in  love,  and  wanted  to  have  a 
wife.  That  was  the  whole  secret  of  it. 
164 


Building  Up  the;  New.  165 

This  explanation  of  Luther's  action  has  been 
adopted  by  Catholic  writers  generally,  and  is  ad- 
vanced even  in  our  own  days. 

We  must  admit  that  the  time  which  L-uther 
chose  for  taking  a  wife  furnished  his  opponents 
with  arguments  against  him. 

His  prince  and  protector  had  died  but  a  few 
v/eeks  before.  On  May  5,  1525,  Elector  Frederick 
the  Wise  went  to  his  rest  after  having  received  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  both  forms  and 
having  declined  extreme  unction.  He  was  the  first 
German  prince  who,  in  his  dying  hour,  was  willing 
to  rely  upon  faith  in  Christ  alone,  not  upon  the 
mediatory  offices  of  the  Church.  Though  he  never 
had  a  personal  meeting  with  Luther,  he  was  the 
prudent  protector  of  the  bold  monk,  helping  his 
cause  more  by  his  wise  counsel  and  deliberate  re- 
straint than  by  rash  measures. 

Then,  there  were  the  disastrous  results  of  the 
defeat  of  the  peasants ;  the  reaction  against  the  Ref- 
ormation. Luther's  name  was  at  that  time  cursed 
by  thousands.  All  Germany  was  stricken  and  de- 
pressed. And  Luther  forgot  everything  else,  and 
had  tirfie  for  courtship  and  merry-making!  We 
can  well  imagine  the  righteous  indignation  of  his 
Pharisaical  opponents. 

Luther's  marriage  was  an  act  as  bold  and  as  far- 
reaching  in  its  ultimate  results  as  anything  he  had 
done  before.  His  disconcerted  friends  he  cheers  up 
with  the  words,  "The  angels  will  rejoice,  and  the 
devil  shall  weep."  The  motives  which  impelled  him 
were  the  highest  and  purest.  He  simply  considered 
it  his  duty  to  take  a  wife  in  order  to  show  the  high 


i66  Luther:   The;  Leade;r. 

and  holy  state  of  matrimony  in  the  face  of  all  who 
spoke  sneeringly  of  it,  and  in  order  to  discard  the 
last  monkish  pretense  of  the  superior  holiness  of 
the  unmarried  state.  His  marriage  was  meant  to 
be  a  testimony  against  the  popular  doctrine  of  the 
inferiority  and  worthlessness  of  woman.  By  it  he 
restored  the  dignity  and  honor  of  womanhood.  To 
the  Roman  Church  woman  was  the  sole  cause  of  the 
fall  of  man.  The  serpent  was  always  pictured  with 
a  woman's  head.  To  associate  with  women  was 
dangerous,  to  marry  a  woman  was  proof  of  a  low 
state  of  morality.  At  any  rate  she  was  too  degen- 
erate to  become  the  wedded  wife  of  a  priest  in  the 
Church  of  God.  A  life  of  perfect  holiness  was  con- 
sidered utterly  unattainable  in  wedlock. 

In  order  to  counteract  these  doctrines  and  the 
moral  evils  resulting  therefrom,  Luther  had  advised 
a  number  of  priests  to  enter  into  matrimony ;  but 
in  course  of  time  he  felt  that  he  must  not  only 
preach  but  practice.  A  few  years  before,  when 
Karlstadt  and  Justus  Jonas  had  married,  he  wrote  to 
Spalatin,  "They  won't  force  a  wife  on  me,"  but  he 
soon  changed  his  mind.  To  the  Elector  Albrecht 
of  Mainz  he  wrote  a  letter  encouraging  him  to 
marry  and  change  his  bishopric  into  a  temporal 
principality,  and  in  this  letter  he  declares :  "If  my 
own  marriage  should  be  an  encouragement  to  your 
grace,  I  would  be  ready  to  set  an  example,  since  I 
intend  to  be  in  the  married  state  before  I  depart  this 
life,  deeming  this  the  state  which  God  enjoins  upon 
men." 

Having  once  decided  a  matter,  it  was  not  his 
way  to  delay  its  execution.     His  choice  fell  upon 


BuiivDiNG  Up  the:  N^w.  167 

Katharina  von  Bora,  a  young  lady  of  an  old  and 
highly  honored  but  impoverished  family.  At  the 
age  of  ten  years  she  had  been  taken  to  the  convent 
at  Nimptsch,  but  in  1523,  when  twenty-four  years 
old,  she  escaped  together  with  eight  other  nuns, 
and  came  to  Wittenberg.  Luther  was  kept  busy  in 
finding  suitable  places  for  these  and  other  nuns  who 
escaped  and  took  refuge  in  Wittenberg.  He  tried 
to  secure  for  them  places  as  teachers  or  to  marry 
them  to  some  honest  fellow.  He  had  a  husband  in 
view  for  Miss  von  Bora,  but  when  Pastor  Amsdorf 
informed  her  of  it,  she  haughtily  replied  that  she 
had  no  objections  to  marry  either  Amsdorf  or  Dr. 
Luther,  but  she  did  not  wish  the  one  proposed, 

Luther,  it  seems,  took  the  hint.  Without  con- 
sulting anybody  he  married  her  on  June  13,  1525, 
in  the  presence  of  only  a  few  of  his  most  intimate 
friends,  and  on  June  27th  the  public  celebration  was 
held.  "If  I  had  not  married  her  quickly  and 
quietly,"  he  remarked  later,  "only  a  few  friends 
knowing  it,  they  all  would  have  prevented  it ;  for 
even  my  best  friends  cried,  'Not  this  one  but  some 
one  else.'  " 

The  newly  married  couple  remained  in  the  Au- 
gustinian  convent.  All  the  other  monks  had  left  it 
long  before,  Luther  and  the  aged  prior  were  the 
only  ones  who  had  been  living  there  for  some  years. 
The  convent  was  by  no  means  a  comfortable,  much 
less  a  cozy  home.  It  was  built  as  a  cloister  for  men, 
consisting  of  rows  of  small  cells.  But  "Frau 
Kathe"  succeeded  in  gradually  converting  the  dis- 
mal convent  into  a  cheerful  home.  The  new  Elector, 
John,    made  a  present  of    the  whole  property  to 


i68  Luther:   The  Leader. 

Luther,  and  exempted  it  from  all  taxes.  The  uni- 
versity and  the  city  of  Wittenberg  also  showed  their 
respect  by  giving  substantial  gifts. 

There  was  not  much  romance  in  Luther's  court- 
ship, but  his  married  life  proved  to  be  a  very  happy 
one.  As  the  years  passed  by,  the  love  of  husband 
and  wife  grew  stronger  and  deeper.  He  was  fond 
of  teasing  her;  in  his  letters  he  calls  her  all  kinds 
of  pet  names.  She  had  a  mind  of  her  own,  and  did 
not  hesitate  to  carry  out  her  ideas.  Both  were 
strong  characters,  and  were  accustomed  to  assert 
themselves,  but  their  married  life  was  permeated  by 
the  maxim  which  Luther  enunciated  in  one  of  his 
Table  Talks:  "Man  and  wife  must,  above  every- 
thing else,  live  together  in  love  and  harmony,  so 
that  the  one  shall  endeavor  to  please  the  other  heart- 
ily and  faithfully." 

Six  children  were  born  to  them.  Two  of  them 
died  in  infancy ;  the  three  sons  became  good,  useful 
men,  without,  however,  rising  above  mediocrity; 
the  daughter  married  a  prominent  Saxon  officer, 
but  died  shortly  afterward.  Luther's  last  male  de- 
scendant died  in  the  year  1759. 

Luther  spent  much  time  with  his  family.  He 
fully  realized  the  duty  of  the  parent  towards  the 
children.  He  remarks  occasionally,  "Rightfully  we 
say  that  God  has  blessed  us  by  the  gift  of  a  child, 
but  how  few  of  us  will  appreciate  and  vmderstand 
this  blessing!" 

He  was  a  close  observer,  was  never  tired  of 
watching  the  children,  of  studying  their  characters 
and  learning  from  them.  Again  and  again  he 
writes  of  their  doings,  and  speaks  of  them  in  his 


Building  Up  the  Ne;w.  169 

Table  Talks.  They  teach  him  many  spiritual  truths, 
more  particularly  simplicity,  purity,  and  confidence, 
and  furnish  a  never-ceasing  source  of  illustrations. 
To  give  them  a  good  religious  education  was  his 
prime  object.  "It  does  not  matter  whether  we 
make  our  children  heirs  of  great  wealth ;  we  should 
rather  strive  to  make  them  wise,  so  that  they  can 
make  good  use  of  whatever  they  may  inherit.  We 
parents  are  great  fools  for  leaving  to  our  children 
many  worldly  goods  but  neglecting  to  train  them 
in  the  fear  of  God,  in  self-discipline  and  honesty." 

His  method  of  education  was  guided  by  two 
maxims.  Said  he,  "Christ,  wishing  to  educate  men, 
became  a  man,  and  if  we  wish  to  educate  children 
we  must  become  like  children."  And  in  the  second 
place,  thinking  back  no  doubt  of  his  own  dreary 
childhood  days,  he  demands  that  "the  apple  must 
lie  next  to  the  rod." 

Luther  did,  indeed,  become  like  a  child  among 
his  children.  He  answered  their  childish  questions 
appropriately,  telling  them  stories,  writing  beautiful, 
childlike  letters,  when  away  from  home,  and  never 
returning  from  a  trip  without  bringing  some  small 
gifts.  But  he  could  also  be  severe  when  it  was 
necessary.  "I  would  rather  have  a  dead  son  than 
cne  who  has  gone  wrong,"  he  said,  and  again,  "How 
it  spoils  children  if  we  let  them  have  their  own  will 
and  fail  to  punish  them !"  He  believed  in  corporal 
punishment  though  not  exclusively.  Upon  a  cer- 
tain occasion  he  punished  his  oldest  son  Hans  by 
forbidding  him  to  come  into  his  father's  presence 
until  he  had  asked  forgiveness. 

The  influence  of  the  home  life  was,  in  his  opin- 


I70  Luther:   The:  Leader. 

ion,  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  welfare  of 
the  country.  We  do  well  to-day  to  heed  the  follow- 
ing counsel:  "If  children  are  not  trained  to  obe- 
dience in  their  own  homes,  it  will  never  be  brought 
about  that  a  whole  city,  country,  or  kingdom  will  be 
governed  well.  Family  government  is  the  most 
fundamental  government,  whence  all  other  forms  of 
government  originate.  Where  there  is  no  good 
root,  there  can  grow  neither  a  good  tree  nor  good 
fruits." 

The  high  place  which  he  accorded  to  the  family 
life  naturally  led  him  to  regard  the  home  as  the 
legitimate  sphere  of  activity  for  woman.  "Her 
calling  is  to  be  man's  helpmate,  to  raise  children, 
and  to  manage  the  house.  If  she  would  stay  single 
and  pursue  some  other  line  of  work  she  could  not, 
by  doing  so,  be  purer  nor  do  more  good  than  in 
the  family."  The  work  done  by  a  faithful  mother 
in  her  family,  insignificant  though  it  may  seem,  is 
of  incalculable  value.  Her  patience,  painstaking 
endurance,  and  love  can  be  surpassed  only  by  God's 
love  to  mankind.  Shortsighted  and  foolish  is  a 
wife  who  neglects  her  household  duties  to  engage 
upon  other  work.  His  advice  is :  "Treat  your  hus- 
band in  such  a  manner  that  he  will  be  glad  when,  in 
returning,  he  sees  the  roof  of  his  house ;  and,  hus- 
band, live  with  your  wife  so  that  she  does  not  like 
to  see  you  go  away,  and  is  happy  when  you  come 
home  again."  Another  of  his  sayings,  showing  his 
practical  common  sense  is :  "The  man  is  to  be  pitied 
whose  wife  does  not  know  anything  about  the 
kitchen;  this  is  the  first  misfortune  from  which 
many  others  follow." 


Building  Up  the  New.  171 

Luther  is  far  from  underestimating  woman's 
natural  abilities,  but  he  recognizes  the  difference  in 
the  constitution  and  endowments  of  the  two  sexes. 
He  certainly  emancipated  woman  from  the  de- 
graded position  she  occupied  in  the  Catholic  Church, 
but  he  did  not  wish  to  emancipate  her  from  the  laws 
of  nature  and  of  God. 

Woman,  as  well  as  man,  is  a  priest  before  God, 
and  it  is  her  privilege  likewise  to  offer  up  her  tal- 
ents, gifts,  and  powers  as  a  sacrifice  to  God  in  the 
service  of  mankind.  Besides  the  proper  work  in 
the  realm  of  the  family,  there  are  two  fields  in  par- 
ticular open  to  women.  They  are  the  best  teachers 
of  the  young,  especially  of  girls,  and  Luther  urged 
all  Churches  to  employ  good,  pious  women  to  in- 
struct the  girls  under  twelve  years  of  age ;  and  then 
women  are  peculiarly  gifted  to  do  the  work  which 
our  modern  deaconesses  are  doing.  "Women  who 
love  the  Lord,  as  a  rule,  have  a  special  gift  to  com- 
fort the  afflicted  and  to  soothe  the  pains  of  the 
sick."  In  exceptional  cases,  as  for  instance  when 
there  are  only  women  present,  he  sees  no  objection 
to  preaching  by  woman. 

Woman's  faithfulness  is  constantly  praised  by 
him.  "Whenever  and  wherever  women  have  re- 
ceived the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  they  are  much 
stronger  and  more  intense  in  their  faith  and  hold  it 
faster  than  men  do." 

The  possibility  of  women  earning  their  own 
bread  and  being  independent  of  the  support  of  the 
stronger  sex  did  not  occur  to  him.  It  was  pre- 
cluded by  the  social  conditions  of  his  time. 

"Given  to  hospitality"  might  have  been  a  fitting 


172  Luthi^r:  Th^  Li^ad^r. 

motto  for  the  Luther  home.  Martin  Luther's  fam- 
ily consisted  not  only  of  his  wife  and  their  own 
children.  There  was  also  his  wife's  aunt,  known 
as  Muhme  Lene,  who  had  likewise  escaped  from  a 
convent ;  then  there  were  three  nieces  and  four  sons 
of  his  brothers ;  and,  after  the  ravages  of  the  plague 
in  1527,  he  took  several  orphans  and  widows  in  his 
home.  Besides,  there  were  the  tutors  of  his  chil- 
dren and  some  of  their  pupils.  One  of  the  tutors' 
brought  day  after  day  six  pupils  to  take  their  meals 
at  Frau  Kathe's  table. 

Luther's  home  was  for  years  a  refuge  for  exiled 
priests,  escaped  monks,  and  evangelical  preachers 
who  were  driven  from  their  own  homes.  There  was 
always  a  number  of  foreign  students,  professors, 
and  preachers,  drawn  to  Wittenberg  by  the  desire 
to  see  the  famous  Reformer,  as  guests  in  the  "Black 
Convent."  Sometimes  persons  of  high  rank  visited 
him.  Some  of  the  guests  staid  only  a  few  days, 
others  remained  for  weeks,  and  not  many  paid 
board-bills.  ]\Iore  than  once  it  was  due  only  to 
Frau  Kathe's  positive  objection  that  more  transient 
or  permanent  guests  were  received  than  there  was 
room  to  accommodate.  When  Prince  George  of 
Anhalt  expressed  his  desire  to  visit  Luther's  home 
he  was  advised  not  to  do  so,  since  "Dr.  Luther's 
house  is  inhabited  by  a  motley  crowd  of  young  peo- 
ple, students,  girls,  widows,  old  men  and  women. 
There  is,  therefore,  constantly  great  disturbance  and 
no  rest  at  all,  and  many  feel  sorry  for  the  good  man 
and  venerable  father." 

In  all  parts  of  the  Fatherland,  yea,  of  Europe, 
Luther's  house  was  known  as  a  place  of  refuge  for 


Bounding  Up  the;  Ne;w.  173 

those  who  were  exiled,  a  hospital  for  the  sick,  a 
home  for  orphans,  a  place  of  solace  for  the  afflicted. 

His  family  was  large  and  noisy  enough  to  make 
any  man  nervous.  But  nervousness  was  not  yet  dis- 
covered at  that  time.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  tur- 
moil Luther  fulfilled  his  manifold  and  exacting 
duties,  wrote  letters,  pamphlets,  books,  prepared  his 
sermons  and  daily  lectures. 

It  is  a  mystery  how  Frau  Kathe  could  manage 
her  large  household  and  feed  so  many  persons  with 
the  limited  income  of  her  husband.  His  salary 
reached  the  enormous  sum  of  two  hundred  florins  a 
year ;  he  did  not  charge  tuition  for  his  lectures,  nor 
did  he  ever  take  a  penny  for  an}'  of  his  many  books. 
It  is  clear  that  he  could  not  live  on  his  regular  in- 
come. His  Elector  and  other  princely  benefactors, 
among  them  the  king  of  Denmark,  supplied  him 
regularly  with  table  necessities,  and  on  special  occa- 
sions Luther  felt  free  to  ask  for  what  he  needed. 

Very  wisely  he  left  the  whole  management  to  his 
good  wife.  She  was  a  jewel  in  diligence,  clear- 
headedness, economy,  and  shrewdness.  His  own 
liberality  knew  no  bounds.  "God  is  rich.  He  can 
afford  it,"  he  used  to  say.  How  he  looked  at  riches 
can  best  be  seen  from  the  following  words :  "He 
who  possesses  earthly  goods  should  be  lord  over 
them.  Whoever  serves  is  a  slave ;  he  does  not 
possess  the  money,  the  money  possesses  him.  He 
can  not  use  it  and  help  others  as  he  would  like  to 
do ;  he  dare  not  even  touch  it.  But  if  he  be  master, 
the  money  serves  him.  If  he  sees  one  who  has  no 
coat,  he  commands :  ]\Iarch,  Mr.  Florin ;  do  you 
see  that  poor  man  without  a  coat  ?    You  must  serve 


174  Luther:   The;  Leader. 

him !  Another  is  sick,  and  lacks  the  very  necessities 
of  Hfe.  Come  out,  Mr.  Thaler!  is  the  command; 
you  must  go  and  help  this  needy  man.  Those  who 
use  their  money  in  this  wise  are  lords ;  those  who 
are  constantly  saving  and  adding  to  the  pile  are 
merely  slaves," 

Frau  Kathe  was  by  no  means  stingy.  But  she 
had  an  eye  also  for  the  needs  of  her  own  family.  It 
happened  more  than  once  that  her  husband  wanted 
to  give  away  a  precious  piece  of  silverware,  which 
some  prince  or  nobleman  had  presented  to  the  pro- 
fessor ;  but  it  had  disappeared  mysteriously ;  nobody 
had  an  idea  where  it  was !  Under  her  direction  the 
large  convent  garden  was  cultivated,  a  few  acres 
of  farmland  were  rented,  and  in  course  of  time 
"Herr  Kathe,"  as  Luther  jokingly  called  his  wife, 
managed  a  whole  farm,  owned  cows  and  hogs  and 
fish  and  fowl. 

The  term  "family"  was  used  by  Luther  in  a  still 
larger  sense.  It  included  all  the  servants.  They 
were  to  look  upon  their  masters  as  taking  the  places 
of  the  parents,  and  the  latter  assumed  sacred  duties 
when  taking  some  one  into  the  house,  even  if  only  a 
humble  servant.  "The  head  of  a  family  is  in  his 
own  house  a  pastor  and  a  bishop  over  his  servants. 
He  ought  to  call  his  whole  family,  children  and 
servants,  together  at  least  once  a  week,  and  examine 
them  in  the  truths  of  the  Catechism." 

Luther  was  not  gluttonous  as  his  enemies  decried 
him,  but  he  enjoyed  good  appetite  and  relished  a 
good  meal.  He  was  always  temperate  but  no  ab- 
stainer. Total  abstinence  from  the  use  of  beer  or 
wine  as  beverages  was  not  a  question  at  issue  in  his 


BUII.DING  Up  the  New.  175 

days.  "If  the  Lord  saw  fit  to  create  fine,  large  pikes 
and  good  Rhine  wine,  why  should  I  not  be  allowed 
to  eat  and  drink?"  But,  most  of  all,  he  enjoyed 
congenial  company  at  table.  His  "Table  Talks" 
were  written  down  by  some  of  the  guests,  and  fill 
several  volumes  of  his  collected  works.  Quite  fre- 
quently he  and  his  guests  were  so  intensely  inter- 
ested in  conversation  that  it  needed  Frau  Kathe's 
warning,  "Why  do  you  talk  so  much  and  forget  to 
eat?" 

His  recreation  he  found  in  the  family  circle  and 
among  his  friends,  in  playing  with  his  children,  in 
gardening,  in  bowling,  but  above  all  in  music.  Next 
to  theology  he  placed  music.  "No  other  art  can  do 
for  man  what  theology  and  music  will  accomplish, 
namely,  to  give  rest  and  happiness  to  soul  and 
mind."  Music  is  the  best  medicine  against  sadness. 
Writing  to  a  despondent  friend  he  gives  the  follow- 
ing advice:  "If  the  devil  comes  and  tempts  you 
with  cares  or  evil  thoughts,  resist  him  courageously 
and  say,  'Away,  devil!  I  must  now  sing  and  play 
unto  the  Lord.'  Play  your  lute  and  sing  until  the 
evil  thoughts  have  left  you." 

Not  all  the  days  were  bright.  Quite  often  did 
sickness  in  the  family  cast  dark  clouds  over  the  old 
convent.  Luther  himself  had  several  painful  and 
serious  attacks  of  his  old  trouble,  calculus.  More 
than  once  the  cholera  visited  Wittenberg.  Two  of 
his  children  he  had  to  bury,  and  it  was  very  hard 
for  the  affectionate  parents;  but  even  during  the 
dark  hours  they  remained  in  great  peace  of  mind. 

Luther's  family  life  is  the  source  of  the  new  life 
and  influence  emanating  from  the  evangelical  par- 


176  IvUThe^r:  The  Leader. 

sonage.  He  put  in  place  of  the  priest's  house,  with 
the  smutty  gossip  encirding  it,  the  healthful,  up- 
lifting influence  of  a  pure  Christian  household.  The 
story  of  the  moral  and  social  progress  of  the  last 
few  centuries  can  not  be  written  without  giving  due 
credit  to  the  work  done  by  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  evangelical  pastors,  who  received  their  early 
training  and  whose  character  was  molded  in  the 
clean  and  pure  atmosphere  of  their  childhood  homes. 
It  was  one  of  Luther's  greatest  deeds  that  he  dared 
to  marry  and  raise  a  family. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
ORGANIZING  THE  LUTHERAN  CHURCH. 

It  is  beyond  dispute  that  Luther  did  not  plan  to 
organize  a  new  Church.  The  Catholic  Church  had 
a  perfect  organization ;  all  that  Luther  wished  and 
worked  for,  at  first,  was  a  reformation  of  the  ex- 
isting Church  and  the  severance  of  the  German" 
Church  from  the  assumed  authority  of  the  pope  in 
Rome.  Quite  against  his  will  he  became  the  founder 
of  a  new  Church. 

While  not  endowed  with  extraordinary  gifts  for 
organizing,  yet  by  the  sheer  power  of  his  person- 
ality he  was  looked  upon  as  the  one  man  who  alone 
could  control  and  bring  order  in  the  chaotic  condi- 
tions which  were  the  immediate  results  of  the  turn- 
ing away  from  the  old  Church.  He  was  equal  to 
the  occasion.  His  common  sense,  his  knowledge  of 
human  nature,  his  devotion  to  what  was  ideal  and 
desirable,  coupled  with  the  practical  carrying  out 
of  what  was  possible  under  existing  circumstances ; 
his  tremendous  will-power;  his  unrestrained  devo- 
tion to  the  cause,  free  from  all  self-seeking,  were 
some  of  the  qualities  which  went  to  make  him  the 
founder  of  the  creed,  the  forms  of  worship,  the  gov- 
ernment of  one  of  the  greatest  denominations  of  the 
Protestant  Church. 

It  is  true  Luther's  Church  was  not  a  free  Church 

12  177 


178  IvUThe;r:   The:  Leader. 

in  a  free  State ;  it  was  a  State  Church.  But  Luther 
did  not  live  in  a  free  State,  neither  did  he  Hve  in  a 
time  when  Hberty  of  conscience  was  enjoyed.  Re- 
Hgious  hberty,  separation  of  Church  and  State  were, 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  known  as  httle  as  were 
radium  or  wireless  telegraphy  in  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. We  can  never  understand  any  man  of  the  past 
or  appreciate  his  life's  work  if  we  measure  him  by 
the  standards  of  our  own  times  and  conditions.  It 
shows  a  lack  of  proper  historic  sense  to  find  fault 
with  a  man  because  he  did  things  which  we  nowa- 
days, under  changed  environments,  should  do  dif- 
ferently. But  it  evinces  likewise  a  lack  of  practical 
insight  into  the  conditions  of  progress,  slavishly  to 
adhere  to  the  work  of  a  leader  of  the  past,  however 
beneficial  it  may  have  been,  when  conditions  have 
changed  entirely. 

Luther's  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  universa'. 
priesthood  of  the  believer  and  of  the  freedom  of  the 
Christian  contained  the  seeds  of  the  magnificent 
tree  of  "a  free  Church  in  a  free  State,"  but  the  soil 
was  not  yet  prepared  to  permit  its  growth. 

According  to  his  ideas  the  several  congregations, 
consisting  of  true  believers,  were  to  have  the  right 
of  choosing  their  own  pastors  and  of  managing 
their  own  affairs ;  but  the  disorders  in  Wittenberg 
during  his  absence  and  the  anarchy  of  the  peasants 
convinced  him  that  the  people  in  general  were  too 
immature,  and  must  first  be  educated  to  the  judi- 
cious use  of  their  freedom.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
fatal  results  of  the  religious  and  social  revolts  of 
the  years  1521  to  1525  that  Luther  became  thor- 
oughly disgusted   with   democracy   in   Church   and 


Building  Up  the;  New.  179 

State.  The  people  could  not  as  yet  be  trusted ;  they 
must  be  held  under  strict  surveillance.  Thus  while 
the  logical  result  of  Luther's  teaching  was  greater 
freedom,  he  himself  became  the  advocate  of  the 
autocratic  government  of  the  princes. 

He  also  saw  that  if  anything  was  to  be  done  in 
the  line  of  reforms  it  must  be  accomplished  by  the 
several  princes  in  their  own  dominions,  the  imperial 
government  being  unwilling  or  inefficient  to  lend 
its  hand.  Moreover,  according  to  Luther,  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  princes  to  use  their  authority  in  relig- 
ious matters  as  well  as  in  all  other  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  welfare  of  their  subjects.  He  distin- 
guishes between  the  Church  as  the  invisible,  mystic 
body  of  Christ  and  the  Church  as  a  visible  institu- 
tion. The  latter  is  an  organization  for  the  purpose 
of  promoting  religion  and  morals  among  the  peo- 
ple. As  such  it  is  an  integral  part  of  every  Christian 
government.  The  care  of  the  religious  and  moral 
interests  of  the  people  is  as  much  the  duty  of  the 
State  as  any  other  matter  of  public  welfare. 

Thus  the  prince  was,  by  virtue  of  his  position,  to 
assume  the  place  of  a  "Notbischof."  He  was  to  be 
the  general  superintendent  or  bishop  in  his  domin- 
ion. This  seemed  to  be,  and  probably  was,  the  only 
way  at  that  time  to  make  room  for  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel,  to  insure  the  support,  the  protection, 
the  rights  and  privileges  necessary  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  evangelical  faith.  And  this  is  the 
origin  of  the  German  State  Churches.  State 
Churchism  was  nothing  but  a  makeshift  required  by 
the  exigencies  of  the  times.     x\s  a  permanent  insti- 


i8o  Luthi;r:   The;  L]?;ade;r. 

tution  it  is  not  in  harmony  with  Luther's  funda- 
mental doctrines. 

The  first  question  which  arose  in  a  generation 
raised  in  the  behef  that  external  forms  of  worship 
were  divinely  appointed  and  inviolable  was  with 
reference  to  the  order  of  evangelical  worship. 

The  center  of  the  Catholic  worship  was  the  mass. 
This  was  the  holy  of  holies.  The  priest,  by  virtue 
of  his  office  did  what  no  layman  ever  could  do ; 
namely,  he  changed  the  elements  of  the  Eucharist 
into  the  very  blood  and  body  of  Christ;  he  offered 
up  again  the  body  of  Christ  as  a  sacrifice.  Luther 
retained  the  name  of  "mass,"  but  he  used  this  term 
to  designate  the  principal  Sunday  service  conclud- 
ing with  the  communion.  The  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  was  made  the  center  of  the  "mass,"  the 
Catholic  doctrine  of  transubstantiation  was  utterly 
rejected.  Everything  else  was  made  subservient  to 
preaching,  and  thus  the  whole  service  was  intended 
for  the  instruction  and  edification  of  the  congrega- 
tion. As  a  matter  of  course,  the  use  of  the  Latin 
language  was  abolished  and  the  vernacular  was  in- 
troduced. 

Acting  upon  the  principle  that  everything  in  the 
ancient  ritual  not  contrary  to  the  Word  of  God  may 
be  retained,  he  drew  up  an  elaborate  ritual  for  use 
in  the  evangelical  Churches.  In  this  respect  Luther 
differed  widely  from  Zwingli,  Calvin,  Knox,  and 
other  Reformers.  Repulsed  by  Catholic  formalism, 
they  went  into  the  extreme  of  repudiating  all  litur- 
gical forms  and  making  public  service  as  simple  as 
possible.  Luther  laid  the  proper  emphasis  upon  the 
inner,    spiritual  life,    but  he  did  not  reject  a  rich 


Building  Up  the  New. 


I8I 


liturgy  as  long  as  those  externals  were  not  consid- 
ered essential  or  made  compulsory.  Those  who 
worship  in  the  spirit  do  not  need  elaborate  forms, 
Luther  explained ;  but  the  great  mass  of  the  people 
is  accustomed  to  forms,  and  by  their  symbolic  lan- 
guage they  can  be  made  a  distinct  help  for  promot- 
ing devotion  and  leading  to  fellowship  with  God. 
At  a  time  when  external  forms  were  objects  of  bitter 
contention  he  either  passes  them  by  in  silence  or 
warns  not  to  abolish  them  by  force  nor  to  make 
them  compulsory.  Touching  the  question  of  gowns, 
for  instance,  he  writes,  "God  is  not  more  pleased 
with  a  clergyman  who  wears  a  gown,  nor  less 
pleased  with  one  who  wears  no  gown  when  admin- 
istering the  sacrament." 

Besides  the  stated  Sunday  services,  Luther  en- 
couraged the  earnest  Christians  to  meet  in  smaller 
groups  for  the  purpose  of  reading  together  book 
after  book  of  the  Bible,  the  pastor  giving  running 
expositions  of  the  passages  read.  We  also  find  in 
his  advices  the  beginning  of  Church  discipline  and 
of  closer  fellowship  of  the  more  serious-minded. 
Luther  desires  that  the  Gospel  be  preached  to  ail 
the  people  without  regard  to  the  state  of  their  spir- 
itual life;  but  he  is  just  as  anxious  to  form  select 
societies  of  those  who  are  serious  in  their  striving 
after  righteousness.  This  excellent  idea  was  lost 
sight  of,  owing  to  the  close  connection  of  Church 
and  State;  it  was  later  revived  in  the  meetings  of 
the  Pietists  and  the  United  Brethren  in  Germany 
and  in  the  "Religious  Societies"  in  England,  and 
reached  its  culmination  in  the  system  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  class-meetings. 


i82  Luther:  Thh;  Leader. 

As  a  natural  result  of  the  doctrine  of  universal 
priesthood,  episcopal  ordination  of  priests  was  de- 
clared unnecessary.  The  candidates  for  the  minis- 
try were  examined  by  Luther,  afterward  by  a  prop- 
erly appointed  commission,  and  were  ordained  be- 
fore the  assembled  congregation  by  the  laying  on 
of  hands  by  some  elders.  There  was  so  great  a  de- 
mand in  all  parts  of  Germany  for  evangelical 
preachers  that  it  was  impossible  to  confine  ordina- 
tion to  those  who  had  received  a  thorough  theolog- 
ical education.  Teachers,  sextons,  mechanics,  plaiti 
citizens,  feeling  called  by  God  to  preach  the  Gos- 
pel, were  ordained  and  sent  out.  Luther  did  not 
even  consider  ordination  as  absolutely  necessary  in 
order  to  preach;  he  repeatedly  urged  Melanchthon 
to  preach  in  Wittenberg,  although  he  was  not  or- 
dained nor  called  by  any  ecclesiastical  authority.  The 
Lutheran  Churches  fell  far  below  this  broad  view  of 
their  founder,  and  developed  a  conception  of  the 
office  and  privileges  of  the  ordained  ministry,  which 
comes  perilously  near  the  Catholic  conception.  It 
was  not  until  the  time  of  the  Methodist  revival  that 
the  validity  and  high  efficiency  of  the  lay  ministry 
was  recognized  again,  and  it  is  but  recently  that  the 
Lutheran  Churches  in  the  Fatherland  are  returning 
to  the  point  of  view  of  Luther,  and,  owing  to  a 
great  extent  to  "English-American  influences,"  em- 
ploy the  help  of  lay-workers  in  the  various  branches 
of  Church  work. 

In  1542  the  first  evangelical  bishop  was  ordained 
by  Luther.  It  was  his  old  friend  and  colleague, 
Nicolaus  Amsdorf.  Referring  to  this  ordination, 
the  Reformer  wrote  sarcastically :   "The  poor  here- 


BUII.DING  Up  the  Ni;w.  183 

tics  committed  a  new  crime;  viz.,  they  ordained  a 
bishop  without  any  ointment,  also  without  butter, 
lard,  bacon,  tar,  incense,  coal;  nothing  but  prayer 
and  a  sermon."  In  a  pamphlet  entitled,  "Example 
to  Ordain  a  Genuine  Christian  Bishop,"  he  ex- 
plained that  the  bishops  in  the  ancient  Church  were 
ordained  in  the  same  manner.  Later  the  designation 
"bishop"  was  changed  to  the  official  title  "superin- 
tendent" or  "general  superintendent." 

The  problem  of  the  financial  support  of  the 
Churches  and  ministers  was  solved  in  a  very  simple 
way.  The  secular  ruler,  being  the  highest  bishop  in 
his  dominion,  had  the  right,  it  was  claimed,  sum- 
marily to  dismiss  clergymen  who  did  not  preach  the 
Gospel,  and  to  use  the  church  buildings  and  the  in- 
come of  the  Churches  for  the  maintenance  of  evan- 
gelical preaching.  It  was  argued  that  the  existing 
Church  had  deviated  from  its  original  course  and, 
consequently,  foregone  the  right  to  claim  the  rev- 
enues. But  a  great  many  difficulties  ensued.  Many 
Churches  were  supported  by  bequests  or  foundations 
made  for  private  masses  and  other  ceremonies 
which  now  were  held  incompatible  with  evangelical 
preaching,  and  were  abolished.  Was  it  lawful  to 
use  these  moneys  for  other  purposes?  In  many 
cases  the  heirs  of  the  original  donors  claimed  the 
funds,  or,  at  least,  protested  against  the  use  of  the 
funds  for  any  purposes  not  specified  in  the  will  of 
the  giver. 

Furthermore,  an  increasing  number  of  monas- 
teries became  almost  deserted,  as  most  of  the  monks 
left.  What  was  to  become  of  their  landed  posses- 
sions  and  their  endowments?     Knights  and  free 


i84  Luthe;r:   The   Leader. 

cities  were  ready  to  appropriate  as  much  as  they 
could  of  Church  lands  and  privileges  to  their  own 
use.  Many  poor  noblemen,  and  even  some  princes, 
considered  this  a  splendid  chance  to  pay  off  their 
debts  and  to  increase  their  scant  income.  It  needed 
the  strong  arm  of  the  government  to  prevent  a  gen- 
eral grab  of  Church  lands  and  to  retain  them  for 
the  maintenance  of  evangelical  Churches  and 
schools,  and  it  was  Luther  who  urged  speedy  action. 

Luther  had  visited  a  number  of  parishes  as  early 
as  1524,  in  order  to  learn  what  kind  of  preachers 
were  administering  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  con- 
gregations, and  after  the  close  of  the  Peasants' 
War  a  more  thorough  examination  was  made  by  a 
commission  consisting  of  theologians  and  lawyers. 
They  found  that  the  spiritual  destitution  was  greater 
by  far  than  had  been  anticipated.  There  were  pas- 
tors who  had  administered  the  Church  rites  either  in 
Catholic  or  evangelical  forms,  just  as  the  people 
preferred ;  one  clergyman  was  found  who  could 
scarcely  repeat  the  Lord's  Prayer  or  the  Apostles' 
Creed,  but  was  renowned  in  the  whole  neighborhood 
as  a  successful  exerciser  of  bad  spirits.  Some  pas- 
tors earned  their  livings  by  rather  questionable 
means,  in  some  cases  combining  the  calling  of  the 
ministry  with  the  business  of  a  tavern-keeper,  even 
using  the  church  building  as  wine-cellar. 

Many  former  monks  dropped  the  hood,  but  not 
the  character  of  a  monk,  as  Luther  complains.  They 
had  quit  observing  the  stated  times  of  prayer  re- 
quired by  the  Church,  but  did  not  improve  their 
time  by  study.  "Good  heavens !"  he  exclaims,  "how 
much  misery  have  I  witnessed !  The  common  peo- 
ple, especially  in  the  country,  know  nothing  of  the 


Building  Up  th^  Ne:w.  185 

Christian  truth,  and,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  many  pas- 
tors are  utterly  incompetent  to  teach  or  to  preach. 
They  all  are  Christians  in  name,  they  are  baptized 
and  partake  of  the  communion,  but  they  know 
neither  the  Lord's  Prayer  nor  the  Ten  Command- 
ments. They  are  living  just  like  cattle  and  senseless 
hogs.  Since  the  precious  Gospel  has  come  to  them, 
they  have  learned  wonderfully  how  to  abuse  Chris- 
tian liberty." 

Frequent  visitations  by  experienced  pastors  who 
were  sound  in  doctrine  were  instituted.  The  whole 
country  was  divided  into  six  districts,  and  four  vis- 
itors were  assigned  to  each  one.  Melanchthon,  Spal- 
atin — the  latter  of  whom  gave  up  his  position  as 
confidential  secretary  to  the  Elector  and  became  pas- 
tor in  Altenburg — were  especially  active  in  this  mat- 
ter. Melanchthon  prepared  elaborate  and  thorough 
"Instructions  for  the  Visitors,"  and  Luther  wrote 
a  Preface  to  them.  He  laid  stress  on  the  necessity 
of  genuine  repentance;  objected  to  mere  polemics 
against  Rome,  and  exhorted  to  preach  the  law  as 
the  revealed  will  of  God,  just  as  much  as  the  Gospel. 

In  order  to  show  the  preachers  how  to  preach, 
Luther  wrote  his  famous  Catechisms  and  published 
his  "Postille,"  a  collection  of  sermons  to  be  read  in 
churches.  These  books  contain  the  substance  of 
Lutheran  theology.  They  may  be  said  to  form 'the 
theological  groundwork  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  the 
later  Confessions  stating  in  elaborate,  theological 
terms  what  the  Catechisms  say  in  the  language  of 
the  plain  man.  They  will  have  to  be  considered 
more  fully  in  a  later  chapter. 

The  Landgrave  of  Hesse  organized  the  evangel- 


i86  Lu4^he;r:   Tpie;   lyElADER. 

ical  Church  in  his  dominion,  other  princes  and  some 
free  cities  followed,  and  steadily  the  work  extended. 

We  do  not  for  a  moment  forget  that  in  some 
cases  mere  political  opposition  to  Rome  was  the 
prime  motive  for  introducing  reformatory  measures. 
In  other  places  the  work  was  greatly  hampered  by 
ignorance,  indifference,  insincerity,  and  other  fail- 
ings, which  nobody  "^was  quicker  to  censure  than 
Luther  himself ;  and  yet,  after  making  allowance 
for  all  those  influences,  we  see  a  mighty  flame  of  re- 
vival fire  spreading  through  all  parts  and  sections  of 
Germany. 

It  was  not  a  revival  in  the  popular  modern  sense 
of  the  word.  There  were  no  systematic  efiforts  for 
the  winning  of  souls,  no  special  revival  preaching, 
no  invitations  to  awakened  sinners ;  in  short,  none 
of  the  accessories  of  a  modern  revival.  The  simple 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  of  salvation  by  faith,  the 
dissemination  of  the  evangelical  writings  of  Luther, 
especially  the  distribution  of  the  Bible  in  the  ver- 
nacular, the  testimonies  of  plain  men  and  women, 
were  the  principal  agencies  used  by  the  Spirit  of 
God  to  awaken  and  quicken  the  spiritual  life.  The 
Lutheran  Church  is  the  outgrowth,  not  of  a  revival 
of  the  emotional  type,  but  of  a  reaction  against  form- 
alism and  ecclesiasticism,  based  on  a  sane  and 
thorough  study  of  the  Bible.  Its  chief  characteris- 
tics are  less  emotional,  but  more  intellectual.  Its 
organization  into  a  distinct  State  Church  is  due  to 
the  peculiar  political  conditions  and  to  Luther's  con- 
viction that  it  is  an  important  duty  of  the  govern- 
ment, not  only  to  protect  the  proclamation  of  the 
Gospel,  but  to  devise  ways  and  means  to  institute 
and  permanently  maintain  it. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
STRUGGLES  FOR  RECOGNITION. 

How  WAS  it  possible  that  a  man,  excommuni- 
cated by  the  pope  and  under  the  ban  of  the  emperor, 
continued  to  maintain  a  position  of  commanding  in- 
fluence ?  Did  the  building  up  of  a  Church  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  Roman  Church  take  place  without 
interference  from  either  pope  or  emperor,  especially 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  danger  of  an  internal 
revolution  had  passed,  that  knights  and  peasants 
were  subdued,  and  peace  reigned  again  within  the 
borders  of  Germany?  The  question  is  perfectly 
natural ;  its  answer  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  emperor, 
as  well  as  the  pope,  was  kept  busy  with  greater  po- 
litical schemes,  and  the  former  needed  the  good  will 
and  the  assistance  of  the  German  princes.  So  it 
happened  that  for  years  the  Edict  of  Worms  re- 
mained a  dead  letter. 

In  1526,  however,  the  emperor  defeated  his  most 
dangerous  enemy,  the  King  of  France,  in  the  de- 
cisive battle  of  Pavia,  and  now  saw  his  way  clear  to 
re-establish  religious  union  in  Germany  by  coercing 
the  dissenting  princes  to  conform  to  the  Catholic 
Church.  He  called  for  this  purpose  a  Diet  to  be 
held  in  the  city  of  Speyer.  But  just  before  the  open- 
ing of  the  Diet,  Pope  Clement  VH  absolved  the 
French  king  from  his  oath  to  keep  peace,  and 
187 


i88  Luther:   The;  Leade;r. 

formed  an  alliance  with  him  against  Charles.  To 
increase  the  difficulties  of  the  emperor  it  was  re- 
ported that  the  Turks  were  repelling  the  armies  of 
the  King  of  Hungary,  and  were  advancing  steadily 
up  the  river  Danube  toward  Vienna.  Again  Charles 
saw  that  he  could  not  afford  to  alienate  the  evangel- 
ical princes,  and  deferred  the  settlement  of  the  re- 
ligious question  to  a  more  opportune  time. 

The  Diet  of  Speyer  resolved  that  each  prince 
should  "so  live,  rule,  and  conduct  himself  as  he 
could  truly  answer  before  God  and  His  Imperial 
Majesty."  In  other  words,  each  prince  was  left 
free  to  regulate  the  religious  affairs  in  his  own  do- 
minion according  to  his  own  good  pleasure.  This 
ended  the  dream  of  a  National  Church,  and  opened 
the  way  for  the  development  of  independent  State 
Churches.  It  made  possible  the  gradual  organiza- 
tion of  the  Lutheran  Churches  as  indicated  in  the 
previous  chapter.  Everybody  knew  that  this  de- 
cision was  not  final.  Recognizing  the  need  of  being 
prepared  for  the  coming  struggle,  both  the  Catholic 
and  the  evangelical  princes  were  drawn  closer  to- 
gether and  thus  the  forming  of  a  Catholic  and  of  an 
evangelical  party  was  only  a  question  of  time. 

The  pope's  alliance  with  Francis  proved  fatal. 
In  the  month  of  May,  1527,  the  city  of  Rome  was 
stormed  and  sacked  by  the  troops  of  the  emperor. 
Luther  wrote  triumphantly:  "Rome  is  miserably 
devastated.  Christ  reigns.  The  emperor,  while 
persecuting  Luther  to  please  the  pope,  is  compelled, 
by  vanquishing  the  pope,  to  please  Luther.  Every- 
thing must  serve  Christ  in  favor  of  his  own  and 
against  his  enemies." 


BuiivDiNG  Up  the  New.  189 

We  can  appreciate  the  feelings  of  Luther.  The 
victory  of  Charles,  however,  did  not  improve  the 
prospects  of  the  Reformation.  Hardly  had  he  con- 
cluded a  favorable  peace  with  his  enemies  when  he 
turned  again  to  the  religious  affairs  of  Germany. 
He  called  the  second  Diet  of  Speyer,  and  gave  no- 
tice that  he  would  "save  no  pains  in  order  to  oppose 
the  pestilence  of  Lutheranism,  and  to  bring  back  the 
erring  members  into  the  folds  of  the  Church." 

It  was  with  dire  forebodings  that  the  evangelical 
princes  and  estates  went  to  the  old  city  on  the  Rhine. 
They  realized  that  they  were  in  a  helpless  minority. 
The  Diet  enjoined  upon  all  estates  strictly  to  execute 
the  Edict  of  Worms ;  the  evangelical  estates  were 
prohibited  from  continuing  to  introduce  reforms 
or  hindering  any  of  their  subjects  to  worship  ac- 
cording to  the  rites  of  the  Catholic  Church,  while 
the  Catholic  estates  were  in  no  way  restrained  from 
persecuting  and  condemning  to  exile  their  evangel- 
ical subjects.  The  evangelical  party  handed  in  a 
formal  protest :  "In  matters  pertaining  to  God's 
honor  and  our  souls'  salvation  every  one  must  stand 
and  give  an  account  of  himself  before  God."  Hence- 
forth they  were  called  by  the  name  of  Protestants, 

It  was  evident  that  the  Catholics  were  quietly 
preparing  to  crush  the  evangelicals ;  rumors  of  a 
league  to  that  effect  were  current,  and  a  iorged  copy 
of  an  alliance  was  sold  to  Philip,  Landgrave  of 
Hesse,  who  immediately  took  up  arms.  The  forgery 
was  proven,  the  war  averted,  but  the  suspicion  re- 
mained. 

Philip  of  Hesse  was  by  far  the  most  able  states- 
man among  the  evangelicals.    He  saw  the  necessity 


190  Luthe;r:  The  Le;ade;r. 

of  a  close  union  of  all  the  enemies  of  the  pope  and 
of  the  House  of  Habsburg,  and  bent  all  his  energies 
to  bring  about  this  alliance.  While  the  Catholics 
formed  a  compact  body,  the  evangelicals  were  split 
in  various  groups.  Doctrinal  dissensions  prevented 
unity,  political  considerations  made  it  absolutely 
necessary.  Philip,  looking  at  the  matter  from  the 
point  of  view  of  a  politician,  trusted  that,  by  a  con- 
ference of  the  dissenting  theologians,  an  under- 
standing could  easily  be  reached.  So  he  invited  the 
Wittenberg  Reformers  and  also  the  leaders  of  the 
Reform  movement  in  Switzerland,  which  was  al- 
together independent  from  the  German  Reforma- 
tion, to  a  colloquy  to  be  held  in  Marburg. 

During  the  first  few  days  of  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber, In  1529,  the  landgrave's  commodious  castle, 
overlooking  the  little  city  of  Marburg,  was  filled 
with  the  distinguished  leaders  of  the  new  faith. 
Luther,  Melanchthon,  Justus  Jonas,  Caspar  Cruci- 
ger  from  Wittenberg,  Zwingli,  Collin,  GEcolampa- 
dms  from  Switzerland,  Butzer,  Sturm,  Hedio  from 
Strassburg,  Osiander  from  Niirnberg,  Agricola 
from  Augsburg,  and  others,  were  present  to  discuss 
the  burning  questions. 

The  interest  centered  in  Luther  and  Zwingli. 
They  were  the  leaders  of  the  two  opposing  factions. 
If  these  men  could  be  brought  to  agree  among  them- 
selves, it  meant  to  Philip  not  only  religious  harmony, 
it  meant  a  united  political  party  extending  from 
the  coast  of  the  Baltic  Sea  to  the  Alps  of  Switzer- 
land. But  the  landgrave  underestimated  the  radical 
difference  in  the  characters  of  the  two  men,  the 
strength  of  dogmatic  convictions,  the  tenacity  and 
stubbornness  of  Luther. 


Building  Up  the  Ne;w.  191 

It  is  difficult  for  us  to  understand  how  a  seem- 
ingly trivial  question  of  purely  scholastic  and  meta- 
physical dogmatics  could  form  an  insurmountable 
difficulty  to  union,  when  harmony  seemed  to  be 
necessary  in  order  to  avoid  crushing  defeat.  But 
it  did. 

What,  then,  was  the  point  at  issue?  Luther 
taught  that  with,  under,  and  in  the  elements  of  the 
Eucharist  Christ  was  literally  present,  and  was 
bodily  received  by  the  communicant.  To  use  the 
theological  terms,  Luther,  while  rejecting  the  Cath- 
olic doctrine  of  transubstantiation,  firmly  held  the 
doctrine  of  consubstantiation.  Zwingli  saw  in  the 
Eucharist  only  a  confession  of  the  Church  to  the 
risen  Christ  and  a  memorial  of  his  death.  Luther 
taught :  This  is  my  body,  literatim  and  verbatim  ; 
Zwingli  said:  This  means  my  body,  symbolically, 
as  a  remembrance.  Luther  wrote  with  chalk  on 
the  table  before  him  the  words,  "Hoc  est  corpus 
meum,"  and  to  those  words  he  clung.  He  declared 
roundly  and  unqualifiedly  that  he  knew  the  truth 
was  on  his  side,  and,  though  willing  to  hear  the 
opposite  opinions  and  refute  them,  he  would  not 
budge  an  inch  from  the  letter  of  God's  Word.  For 
three  days  the  disputation  continued,  then  it  was 
clear,  even  to  the  landgrave,  that  a  prolongation 
would  simply  be  a  waste  of  time.  Upon  his  re- 
quest, fourteen  articles  were  drawn  up,  on  which 
all  agreed;  the  fifteenth  stated  the  difference  in 
opinion. 

When  parting,  Zwingli  assured  Luther  that  he 
always  had  been  desirous  of  his  friendship,  and 
wished  it  now.      He  held  out    his  hand  to    him. 


.192  Luther:   The;   Le:ade;r. 

Luther  refusing  to  grasp  the  outstretched  hand, 
curtly  rephed:  "You  have  a  different  spirit.  Ask 
God  that  He  may  convert  you."  Hearing  this 
answer  CEcolampadius  lost  patience,  and  said,  "You 
had  better  ask  Him  also,  for  you  need  it  just  as 
much  as  we  do." 

Thus  they  parted.  The  breach  in  the  ranks  of 
the  evangelicals  was  wider  than  ever.  And  it  was 
widened  still  more  by  the  acrimonious  controversy 
which  followed. 

Many  things  might  be  said  in  explanation  of 
Luther's  action.  Luther  and  Zwingli  were  rad- 
ically different  in  character,  education,  environ- 
ment. Zwingli  was  the  son  of  a  free  people,  ac- 
customed to  a  democratic  form  of  government.  He 
was  a  Humanist,  a  statesman.  Luther  was  raised 
under  an  absolute  monarchy ;  from  his  youth  he 
bore  the  yoke  of  strictest  discipline.  He  was  a 
theologian,  a  monk.  '  Luther's  work  was  the  out- 
come of  his  individual  struggles,  Zwingli's  was  the 
result  of  the  study  of  the  Bible  as  the  fountain 
spring  of  social  righteousness.  Luther  started  from 
the  need  of  the  individual,  Zwingli  from  the  need  of 
society.  Luther  fought  legal  bondage  and  work- 
righteousness,  and  taught  the  freedom  of  the  Chris- 
tian ;  Zwingli  fought  idolatry  and  moral  corruption, 
and  proclaimed  social  and  political  independence. 
Says  Professor  Hausrath :  "The  son  of  the  miner 
went  down  into  the  depths  of  his  own  soul  to  find 
God ;  the  man  born  in  the  Alps  climbed  upon  the 
peaks  to  study  the  doings  of  men,  to  organize  their 
institutions  and  to  govern  them." 

To  the  statesman  and  reformer  Zwingli,  dog- 


Building  Up  the  Ne;w.  193 

matical  subtilties  were  of  less  importance;  to  the 
mystic  monk,  whose  mind  had  been  trained  for 
years  in  the  subtHties  of  scholastic  theology,  who 
had  been  brooding  in  the  seclusion  of  his  cell,  who, 
by  firmly  holding  fast  to  what  he  experienced  and 
what  he  found  in  the  Bible,  had  won  his  battles 
against  Rome,  this  metaphysical  point  seemed  of 
utmost  importance.  He,  from  the  beginning,  made 
the  fatal  mistake  of  classifying  Zwingli  with  Karl- 
stadt  and  the  other  enthusiasts;  and  so  intensely 
dogmatical  was  he  that  he  could  see  no  possibility 
of  agreement.  "Either  you  or  we  are  the  servants 
of  Satan."  His  firm  conviction  was  that  the  devil 
himself  was  at  the  bottom  of  Zwingli's  opinions. 

His  relation  to  the  Swiss  Reformer  is  a  sad  page^ 
in  the  life  of  the  great  man.  It  is  still  more  to  be 
regretted,  because  the  obstinate  intellectualism  and 
scholasticism  which  he  displayed  became  an  heir- 
loom of  Lutheran  theologians  of  all  later  times,  and 
made  them,  as  a  rule,  as  narrow,  intolerant,  bigoted, 
self-asserting,  uncharitable  as  ever  scholastic  monks 
have  been. 

In  the  meanwhile  Charles,  having  been  crowned 
'^t  last  by  the  pope  in  Bologna,  crossed  the  Alps  to 
preside  personally  over  the  coming  Diet  to  be  held 
at  Augsburg.  The  evangelicals  were  disheartened, 
but  their  hopes  rose  when  they  heard  of  the  new 
victories  of  the  Turks,  of  their  steady  advance,  and 
of  the  boast  of  Suleiman  soon  to  hear  a  Moslem 
sing  his  prayer  from  the  tower  of  St.  Stephen's 
cathedral  in  Vienna. 

Elector  John  called  Luther  and  the  other  Re- 
formers to  formulate  Articles  of  Faith  which  might 


194  LrUTHDR:   The  Leader. 

be  presented  to  the  Diet.  These  articles  formed 
the  first  draft  of  the  constitution  of  the  Lutheran 
Church.  Accompanied  by  his  counselors  and  his 
theologians,  the  Elector  proceeded  to  Augsburg. 
Luther,  still  being  under  the  ban  of  the  emperor, 
was  left  at  Koburg  Castle,  not  very  far  from  Augs- 
burg. 

Nearly  six  months  he  spent  in  solitude,  in  sur- 
roundings similar  to  those  on  the  Wartburg.  But 
what  a  difference  between  now  and  nine  years  ago ! 
At  Worms,  whence  he  was  taken  to  the  Wartburg 
as  to  a  place  of  refuge,  he  was  a  solitary  man,  sum- 
moned to  revoke  in  the  presence  of  the  emperor  and 
his  princes ;  nine  years  later  a  Confession  of  Faith 
and  a  constitution  of  a  Church  were  being  prepared 
to  be  read  before  the  same  emperor  and  his  princes, 
which  expressed  the  faith  of  a  growing  number  of 
princes  and  cities. 

The  work  of  writing  the  "Apologia,"  as  the 
document  was  called  at  first — afterward  its  name 
was  changed  more  appropriately  to  **Confessio" — 
was  intrusted  to  Melanchthon.  While  expressing 
correctly  the  evangelical  principles,  Melanchthon 
endeavored  to  efface  as  much  as  possible  the  radical 
distinctions  from  Catholicism,  and,  unkindly  enough, 
he  emphasized  the  difference  between  the  Lutherans 
and  the  "Sacramentarians"  or  Zwinglians ;  they 
were  not  recognized  as  brothers  in  the  faith.  The 
draft  was  sent  to  Luther,  who  returned  it  with  the 
remark  that  he  could  not  add  nor  change  anything; 
"neither  would  it  do,  since  I  can  not  step  as  softly 
and  gently."  But  before  their  final  adoption  the 
articles  were  changed  again  and  again,  the  politi- 


Building  Up  the;  Ne;\v.  195 

cians  desiring  to  make  the  document  acceptable  to 
all  parties. 

At  last,  on  June  25,  1530,  the  Confessio  Augus- 
tana  was  read  in  an  open  session  of  the  Diet.  The 
hall  was  crowded.  Many  stood  outside  near  the 
open  door  and  windows.  Two  full  hours  the  read- 
ing lasted.  It  was  so  plain  that  even  those  who  were 
standing  outside  were  able  to  understand  every 
word.  Every  one  listened  attentively ;  only  the  em- 
peror, who  did  not  understand  the  German  lan- 
guage, very  soon  fell  asleep,  and  slept  soundly  to 
the  end  of  the  reading. 

It  was  a  great  day  for  the  Lutherans.  "I  am 
exceedingly  glad  to  have  lived  to  this  hour,  in  which 
Christ  was  preached  in  so  glorious  a  Confession," 
Luther  wrote  from  his  "Patmos."  The  Confession 
of  the  evangelical  faith,  clearly  and  definitely  ex- 
pressed, was  read  before  the  highest  tribunal  in  the 
empire.  And  it  was  well  received.  The  Catholic 
Duke  of  Bavaria  remarked,  "1  see  the  Lutherans 
sit  right  in  the  Scriptures  and  the  papists  stand  out- 
side." Even  the  confessor  of  the  emperor  was  so 
impressed  with  the  depth  and  spirituality  of  this 
creed,  that  he  said,  "You  have  a  theology  that  can 
be  understood  only  by  much  prayer." 

As  a  matter  of  course  the  Roman  theologians  at 
once  composed  a  "Confutatio."  All  the  old  ene- 
mies of  Luther — Drs.  Eck,  Wimpina,  Cochlaus,  and 
others — were  present,  and  between  themselves  they 
concocted  a  document  the  chief  characteristics  of 
which  were  weak  arguments  and  strong  abuses. 

Again  Melanchthon  undertook  the  thankless 
work  of  writing  a  diplomatic  answer  which  rrjight 


196  IvUTher:   The  LeIader 

serve  as  a  common  basis,  by  yielding  as  much  as 
possible  to  the  opponents  and  accepting  as  much  as 
possible  from  them,  and  covering  up  the  remaining 
differences.  Some  feared  that  Melanchthon  would 
"sell  out  to  the  Romanists;"  many  wished  for 
Luther ;  "He  would  be  better  than  all  who  are  here." 
Luther  kept  in  close  touch  with  Augsburg  by  fre- 
quent messengers.  He  tried  to  put  iron  into  Me- 
lanchthon's  blood  and  strengthen  him.  "I  hear  that 
you  undertook  the  queer  job  of  uniting  the  pope  and 
Luther,"  wrote  the  impatient  Reformer  to  his 
friend ;  "but  the  pope,  I  presume,  is  not  willing,  and 
Luther  objects  emphatically.  If  you  could  succeed 
in  this,  I  would  take  it  upon  myself  to  conciliate 
Christ  and  Belial." 

Melanchthon 's  answer  was  presented  to  the  em.- 
peror,  but  not  accepted  by  him ;  the  evangelicals 
declined  to  accept  the  "Confutation,"  and,  tired  of 
the  fruitless  efforts,  some  of  them  returned  home. 
The  final  decision  of  the  Diet  was  the  renewed  com- 
mand to  carry  out  the  Edict  of  Worms.  The  recal- 
citrant estates  were  given  time  until  April,  1531, 
to  conform.  On  his  way  back,  Melanchthon  re- 
wrote his  "Refutation,"  and  published  it  in  Witten- 
berg under  the  title  "Augsburg  Apology."  It  is  a 
brilliant  explanation  of  the  Augsburg  Confession. 
Composed  away  from  the  council  chambers  of  the 
politicians,  under  the  influence  of  Luther,  its  whole 
tenor  is  firm  and  positive. 

After  all,  Luther  was  right  in  his  estimation  of 
the  Diet  and  its  results.  He  watched  the  crows  and 
other  birds  from  his  high  tower  on  the  Koburg,  and 
compared  their  twittering  to  the  discussions  of  the 


Building  Up  the  New.  197 

Diet.  To  him  both  were  of  equal  importance  or 
rather  insignificance.  "I  take  Httle  account  of  the 
fierce  and  menacing  adversaries,"  he  wrote  to  Me- 
lanchthon.  The  more  the  years  passed  by,  the  less 
faith  he  had  in  political  plans  and  conferences.  He 
had,  however,  unlimited  faith  in  God,  that  in  His 
own  way  He  would  protect  the  Gospel.  To  his 
thoughts  on  the  Diet  and  its  final  resolution  he  gave 
vent  in  an  unmistakable  manner  in  two  sarcastic 
pamphlets. 

It  is  one  thing  to  pass  a  resolution;  it  is  quite 
a  different  thing  to  carry  it  out.  The  evangelical 
estates,  fearing  war  in  the  immediate  future,  formed 
the  League  of  Schmalkalden ;  but  again  the  Turks 
came  to  the  rescue,  of  course  without  their  know- 
ing it.  Pressed  by  their  victories,  the  emperor,  in 
July,  1532,  granted  the  "Peace  of  Nurnberg."  A 
General  Council  was  to  be  called,  and  till  then  both 
parties  should  keep  peace. 

Again  efforts  were  made  to  unite  the  Lutherans 
and  the  Zwinglians,  and  this  time  they  were  more 
successful.  Zwingli  had  died  in  the  battle  of  Kap- 
pel  in  1 53 1,  and  Luther  was  a  little  more  pliable. 
A  formula  was  finally  agreed  upon,  which  satisfied 
Luther,  and  to  which  the  Swiss  theologians  could 
also  subscribe,  and  in  the  spring  of  1536  the  "Wit- 
tenberg Concordie"  was  signed.  Luther  was  much 
milder  than  some  years  before  at  Marburg.  He  was 
convinced  that  his  opponents  acted  in  good  faith, 
and  that  they,  after  all,  agreed  on  the  essential 
point  that  in  some  mysterious  way  Christ  was  pres- 
ent in  the  elements  of  the  Eucharist,  at  least  for 
the  believer.    "Let  us  now  bury  the  past,  and  place 


198  Luther:  The  Leader. 

a  heavy  stone  upon  it,"  said  Luther  while  shaking 
hands  with  Butzer  and  his  companions. 

Pope  Paul  in,  after  long  delay,  called  a  Council 
to  Mantua  in  Italy.  Luther  advised  all  evangelicals 
to  attend  the  Council,  in  order  to  give  the  Roman- 
ists no  cause  for  complaint;  but  he  did  not  think 
that  the  Council  would  ever  meet  and  settle  the  diffi- 
culties.  'And  it  never  did  meet. 

The  pope  sent  one  of  his  shrewdest  legates,  Car- 
dinal Vergerius,  to  Germany,  and  although  his  in- 
structions did  not  require  it  of  him,  he  voluntarily 
sought  an  interview  with  Luther  in  Wittenberg. 
Arriving  in  the  city  of  the  "heretical  beast,"  the 
cardinal  sent  a  courteous  invitation  to  the  arch- 
heretic  to  dine  with  him.  Luther  __sent  for  his  bar- 
ber, was  shaved,  put  on  his  best  garment  and  a 
heavy  gold  chain.  "I  must  do  all  this,"  he  remarked, 
laughingly,  "so  that  I  may  appear  young.  The 
legate  will  then  think :  The  devil !  if  Luther  is  still 
so  young  and  has  done  so  much  mischief,  what  is 
he  going  to  do  yet?" 

"But  you  will  offend  them,"  some  one  inter- 
jected. "That  is  exactly  what  I  want  to  do.  They 
have  offended  me  enough.  This  is  the  way  to  treat 
serpents  and  foxes." 

"During  the  whole  meal  I  played  the  genuine 
Luther,"  the  Reformer  afterward  reported.  What 
he  meant  by  this  we  may  surmise  from  the  reading 
of  the  legate's  report  to  Rome.  Vergerius  was 
nearly  beside  himself  with  indignation  over  the  "in- 
solence of  the  Lutheran  beast,  who,  with  his  wild 
eyes,  is  no  doubt  possessed  by  the  devil." 

The   Council  being  appointed,  the  Elector  in- 


Building  Up  thk  New.  199 

vited  Luther  to  draw  up  a  series  of  articles  which 
must  be  asserted,  and  from  which  no  departure 
should  be  made  under  any  circumstances.  He  wrote 
the  first  draft  of  the  so-called  Schmalkald  Articles. 

The  Council  of  Mantua  did  not  materialize. 
In  its  place  the  Council  of  Trent  was  held,  and 
there  the  Catholic  Creed  was  set  forth  in  contradis- 
tinction to  the  Lutheran  Confessions. 

It  was  not  until  a  hundred  years  after  the  death 
of  Luther  that  religious  peace  was  permanently  es- 
tablished. Devastating  wars  had  to  be  waged  and 
bloody  battles  had  to  be  fought  before  this  result 
was  achieved.  It  was  not  till  a  generation  after  his 
death  that  the  work  of  constructing  the  Lutheran 
Confessions  was  completed  by  the  adoption  of  the 
"Form  of  Concord.''  But  the  foundations  were  laid 
firmly  and  strongly  by  Martin  Luther.  The  whole 
succeeding  history  of  the  Lutheran  Churches  was 
the  rearing  up  of  an  edifice  according  to  the  plans 
laid  down  in  the  Catechisms,  the  Augsburg  Confes- 
sion and  Apology,  written  by  Melanchthon,  but  on 
the  basis  of  Luther's  Schwabach  and  Torgau  Ar- 
ticles, and  in  the  Schmalkald  Articles. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
"EIN  FESTE  BURG  1ST  UNSER  GOTT." 

The;  history  of  the  hymns  of  the  Church  is  the 
key  to  the  history  of  the  spiritual  Hfe  of  the  Church. 
Not  to  the  history  of  her  dissensions  and  divisions, 
nor  of  the  building  up  of  ecclesiastical  organizations 
and  forms  of  government.  The  hymns  take  us  to 
the  hidden  sources  whence  spring  the  mighty  rivers 
of  faith  and  love  and  holy  living.  They  are  the 
interpreters  of  the  inner  spiritual  life  of  the  Holy 
Catholic  Church  of  the  living  God.  They  express, 
in  v^ords  full  of  rhythm  and  beauty  and  inspiration, 
those  sweet  and  precious  experiences  which  all  the 
children  of  the  one  Heavenly  Father  are  privileged 
to  make,  whatever  their  denominational  relations 
happen  to  be,  or  however  widely  they  may  differ  in 
the  intellectual  formulations  of  their  beliefs. 

The  genuine  Church  hymn  is  not  so  much  indi- 
vidual, but  rather  social  in  nature.  It  expresses  not 
the  individual  experiences  or  sentiments  as  distinct 
from  those  of  other  individuals,  but  rather  those 
vital  experiences  which  are  common  to  all  believers, 
and  therefore  it  can  be  understood  and  appreciated 
by  Christians  of  all  times  and  of  all  conditions  of 
life.  The  peculiar  quality  of  tone  is  given  to  each 
one  by  the  individuality  of  its  author,  by  his  times 
and  his  environments;  but  they  all  join  in  one  ma- 


Building  Up  the  Ntw.  201 

jestic  chorus  of  praise  and  prayer,  and  their  strains 
are  carried  upward  in  perfect  symphony,  thus  ful- 
fining  the  Master's  prayer,  "That  they  may  be  one." 

The  German  nation  has  been  called  a  nation  of 
thinkers  and  poets.  Luther  was  a  thinker ;  not  one 
of  those  philosophers,  to  be  sure,  who  live  remote 
from  the  afifairs  of  every-day  life.  He  was  intensely 
practical,  a  man  of  affairs,  a  leader  of  men.  He 
had  achieved  unparalleled  success,  had  become  the 
best  known  man  in  Europe  before  he  was  forty 
years  of  age.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that,  after  he 
had  reached  his  fortieth  year,  he  developed  an  un- 
usual poetical  talent.  In  fact,  he  became  one  of  the 
great  poets  of  the  nation  of  poets,  and  his  contribu- 
tions to  hymnology  have  found  their  way  into  the 
hymnals  of  all  branches  of  the  Church  universal. 

Martin  Luther  was  a  nature  thoroughly  poetical. 
He  possessed  all  the  qualifications  of  a  Christian 
poet — a  mind  easily  and  deeply  stirred  by  noble 
thoughts ;  an  eye  open  for  everything  that  is  beauti- 
ful; a  devout  heart,  seeing  God  everywhere  and 
feeling  His  presence  constantly ;  a  religious  expe- 
rience which  vitalized  his  whole  being;  a  deep  and 
lasting  inward  peace ;  an  exuberant  joy  fulness  which 
could  not  be  disturbed  by  sorrows  and  conflicts ; 
glowing  enthusiasm  for  everything  that  is  heroic ;  a 
musical  soul ;  a  perfect  mastery  of  language ;  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  its  effects  upon  men's  minds. 
But  his  poetic  genius  was  like  a  spring  of  water  hid- 
den in  the  rock.  There  was  needed  a  rod  to  smite 
the  rock. 

While  a  student  at  Erfurt  he  was  known  among 
his  fellow-students  as  "the  philosopher."    Although 


202  Luther:   The;   Leader. 

he  was  always  a  lover  of  music,  yet  during  his  stu- 
dent days  and  while  in  the  cloister  cell,  he  was  too 
much  engaged  with  the  serious  question  of  his  soul's 
salvation,  of  sin  and  guilt  and  future  judgment,  to 
find  time  to  write  poetry.  Nor  did  he  feel  the  im- 
pulse to  pour  out  his  doubts  and  his  despair  in 
verses.  In  the  beginning  of  his  battle  against  Rome 
he  had  no  time  to  sing.  His  utterances  were  more 
like  the  roaring  of  the  thunder  and  the  striking  of 
lightning.    But  now  the  time  had  come. 

The  execution  by  the  Catholics  of  two  young 
Augustinian  monks,  Heinrich  \'os  and  Johann  von 
Eschen,  who  were  publicly  burned  at  the  stake  in 
the  market-place  at  Antwerp  in  the  month  of  July, 
1523,  stirred  Luther  tremendously.  Joy  inexpressi- 
ble filled  his  heart  that  God  had  given  grace  and 
strength  to  the  first  martyrs  of  the  Reformation  to 
die  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  feelings  of 
righteous  wrath  surged  up  from  the  very  depths  of 
his  soul. 

Joy  and  wrath  were  the  rods  that  smote  the  rock  ; 
perhaps  wrath  even  more  than  joy.  He  sat  down 
and  wrote  a  popular  religious  ballad  describing  the 
triumphant  death  of  the  young  confessors : 

"  Ein  neues  Ivied  wir  heben  an 
Das  wait  Gott  unser  Herre, 
Zu  singen,  was  Gott  hat  getan 
Zu  seinem  Lob  und  Ehre." 

It  was  immediately  printed  in  pamphlet  form  and 
scattered  broadcast. 

His  greatest  distinction  as  poet  he  achieved, 
however,  as  a  writer  of  Church  hymns.     He  had 


Building  Up  the;  Ne;w.  203 

given  to  his  people  the  Bible,  the  Catechism,  an 
order  of  worship,  but  they  had  no  hymns  which 
could  be  sung  by  the  congregation.  The  old  Church 
hymns  were  read  or  chanted  by  the  priest  alone,  and 
were  not  adapted  to  congregational  singing.  Here 
was  a  need.    Luther  saw  it,  and  set  out  to  supply  it. 

Consequently  he  wrote  to  Spalatin  and  others 
asking  them  to  compose  sacred  hymns,  especially  to 
transcribe  the  Old  Testament  Psalms  in  German 
verse.  He  cautions  them  in  the  very  first  letter  to 
avoid  learned  expressions  and  such  as  were  used 
in  court  circles,  and  to  speak  as  plainly  as  possible. 
His  request  is  accompanied  by  the  modest  statement 
that  he  himself  would  be  willing  to  follow  the  ex- 
ample of  the  prophets  and  the  Church  Fathers,  and 
write  German  psalms  for  the  people — that  is  to  say, 
sacred  hymns — in  order  that  the  Word  of  God 
might  be  brought  to  the  people  by  means  of  song; 
but  he  feared  that  he  was  not  endowed  with  the  gift 
as  much  as  was  necessary  for  this  undertaking. 

But  his  efforts  to  induce  others  to  meet  the  need' 
were  not  successful,  and  Luther  discovered  that  he 
himself  was  equal  to  the  occasion. 

For  years  he  had  studied  the  Psalms  more  than 
any  other  portion  of  the  Bible.  He  had  put  his  best 
efforts  to  the  task  of  clothing  those  ancient  hymns 
in  an  appropriate  and  dignified  German  garb.  He 
succeeded  as  no  one  else  did,  either  before  his  time 
or  after.  Now  he  expanded  the  thoughts  of  the 
psalmist,  born  again  and  brought  to  life  in  his  own 
experience,  and  expressed  them  in  pure  and  beauti- 
ful German  poetry.  The  result  was  his  immortal 
hymns. 


204  Luther:   The;  Leader. 

Luther's  poetry  was  not  the  product  of  his  leis- 
ure hoars ;  it  was  no  pastime,  no  recreation ;  it  was 
part  of  his  serious  and  hard  work  in  the  service  of 
his  people.  Looking  at  his  hymns  in  this  light,  and 
taking  into  consideration  Luther's  whole  character, 
we  can  understand  the  underlying  significance  of 
the  fact  to  which  Wilhelm  Scherer,  the  eminent 
German  literary  critic,  calls  attention;  viz.,  that 
there  is  in  Luther's  hymns  a  distinctively  manly 
tone  as  it  w^as  never  before  heard  in  German  lyric 
poetry. 

The  year  1524  may  be  called  the  birth  year  of 
the  evangelical  Church  hymn.  In  that  year  ap- 
peared Luther's  first  hymnal.  It  contained  only 
eight  hymns,  and  four  of  them  were  of  Luther's  own 
composition.  He  published  two  more  hymnals  in 
the  course  of  the  same  year,  the  last  one,  the  "Gei§t- 
liches  Gesangbuch,"  containing  thirty-two  hymns, 
of  which  twenty-four  were  written  by  Luther  him- 
self. In  that  one  year  he  wrote  those  twenty-four 
hymns,  while  in  the  succeeding  twenty-two  years  of 
his  life  he  added  only  twelve  more  to  the  list. 

The  earfiest  hymn  is  the  one  commencing: 

"Nun  freut  eucli  lieben  Christen  Gemein." 

It  is  a  clear  presentation  of  the  way  of  salvation, 
really  an  account  of  his  own  struggles  and  his  transi- 
tion from  darkness  into  light.  It  is  claimed  by 
Lutheran  writers  that  by  this  one  hymn  hundreds 
of  Catholics  were  led  to  an  experimental  faith  in 
Christ,  many  of  them  bitter  enemies  of  the  "heretic' 
who,  before,  could  not  even  endure  the  name  of 


Buii^DiNG  Up  the;  Ne;w.  205 

Luther.  Psalm  cxxx  is  the  basis  for  the  beautiful 
hymn : 

"  Aus  liefer  Not  Schrei  ich  zu  Dir ;  " 

Psalm  xii  for : 

"Ach  Gott  voni  Himmel  sieh  darein." 

Psalms  Ixvii,  cxxiv,  xviii,  cxxviii  were  likewise  ren- 
dered in  German  poetry.  But  best  known  among 
all  his  hymns  is  his  grand 

"Ein  feste  Burg  ist  unser  Gott." 

The  occasion  of  its  origin  is  somewhat  doubtful. 
Some  think  of  the  time  during  the  Diet  of  Worms ; 
but  the  hymn  is  nowhere  found  before  the  year 
1529.  Many  are  inclined  to  the  view  that  he  wrote 
it  at  Koburg  Castle  at  the  time  of  the  Diet  of  Augs- 
burg ;  but  it  is  found  in  print  a  year  before  that  time. 
It  probably  originated  during  the  troublesome  and 
anxious  weeks  before  or  during  the  Diet  of  Speyer, 
when  Luther  was  afflicted  with  sickness  and  mental 
dejection,  when  the  Catholic  princes  formed  an  al- 
liance, and  the  chances  for  the  evangelical  party 
were  more  than  doubtful.  Amidst  all  the  discour- 
agements, disappointments,  and  anxieties,  Luther 
looks  up  to  the  mighty  God  who  is  the  refuge  of 
his  people.    He  feeds  upon  Psalm  xlvi, 

"God  is  our  refuge  and  strength, 
A  very  present  help  in  trouble," 

md  he  pours  out  his  confidence  and  trust  in  the 


2o6  Luther:  The  Leader. 

words  which  we  quote  in  the  excellent  translation 
of  Frederick  H.  Hedge : 

"  A  mighty  fortress  is  our  God, 

A  bulwark  never  failing : 
Our  helper  He,  amid  the  flood 

Of  mortal  ills  prevailing. 
For  still  our  ancient  foe 
Doth  seek  to  work  us  woe : 
His  craft  and  power  are  great, 
And,  armed  with  cruel  hate, 

On  earth  is  not  his  equal. 

Did  we  in  our  own  strength  confide, 
Our  stri\nng  would  be  losing; 

Were  not  the  right  man  on  our  side, 
The  man  of  God's  own  choosing. 

Dost  ask  who  that  may  be? 

Christ  Jesus,  it  is  He ; 

Lord  Sabaoth  is  His  name. 

From  age  to  age  the  same. 
And  He  must  win  the  battle. 

And  though  this  world,  with  devils  filled. 

Should  threaten  to  undo  us, 
We  will  not  fear,  for  God  hath  willed. 

His  truth  to  triumph  through  us. 
The  prince  of  darkness  grim — 
We  tremble  not  for  him ; 
His  rage  we  can  endure, 
For  lo !  his  doom  is  sure. 

One  little  word  shall  fell  him. 

That  word  above  all  earthly  powers — 

No  thanks  to  them — abideth; 
The  Spirit  and  the  gifts  are  ours 

Through  Him  who  with  us  sideth. 
Let  goods  and  kindred  go, 
This  mortal  life  also. 
The  body  they  may  kill : 
God's  truth  abideth  still, 

JJis  kingdom  is  forevey," 


Building  Up  thic  NivW.  207 

This  hymn  was  the  war-cry  and  the  triumphal 
song  of  the  Reformation.  Everything  that  made 
Protestantism  great  and  courageous  finds  expression 
in  these  magnificent  verses. 

Besides  Psalms,  Luther  translated  and  adapted 
Latin  songs  of  the  medieval  Church,  one  hymn  of 
John  Huss,  and  also  "converted"  well-known  Ger- 
man songs,  as,  for  instance,  the  famous  Christmas 

song : 

"  Vom  Himmel  hoch,  da  komm  icli  her." 

He  took  great  pains  in  selecting  appropriate 
tunes  for  his  hymns.  With  the  assistance  of  com- 
petent musicians  he  chose  the  best  of  the  existing 
tunes,  both  secular  and  sacred,  and  arranged  them 
to  suit  his  purposes.  His  selections  and  adaptations 
were  excellent.  Again  he  proved  himself  the  mas- 
ter in  understanding  the  needs  and  likes  of  the  peo- 
ple. Without  catering  to  depraved  tastes  and  giv- 
ing his  people  rag-time  melodies,  he  set  his  hymns 
to  tunes  which  were  popular  but  also  dignified  and 
elevating. 

Little  w^onder  that  his  hymns  were  soon  known 
by  heart  and  sung  everywhere.  Some  of  them  were 
printed  on  slips  of  paper  and  had  an  immense  cir- 
culation. Of  the  first  hymnals  no  copies  are  ex- 
tant. They  were  not  stored  up  in  libraries,  but  were 
used  in  the  homes,  and  were  actually  used  up  by  the 
people.  They  became  one  of  the  most  successful 
means  of  spreading  evangelical  truth,  and  Luther's 
opponents  complained  that  the  people  simply  sang 
themselves  into  the  new  faith. 

In  the  city  of  Brunswick  a  Romish  priest 
preached  a  fierce  sermon  against  the  arch-heretic, 


2o8  L,uthe;r:   The;  Leader. 

He  had  hardly  finished  when  a  plain  man  in  the 
audience  started  Luther's  hymn,  "Ach  Gott  vom 
Himmel  sieh  darein."  It  was  immediately  taken 
up  and  sung  by  the  whole  crowd,  much  to  the  dis- 
comfiture of  the  preacher. 

Even  in  Catholic  Churches  some  of  the  hymns 
were  sung.  The  people  wanted  to  hear  them. 
Prince  Henry  of  Wolfenbiittel,  than  whom  none 
was  more  bitter  against  Luther,  insisted  that  his 
hymns  should  be  sung  regularly  in  his  court  chapel. 
One  day  the  priest  objected,  and,  when  asked  to 
name  the  hymns  which  were  to  be  excluded,  com- 
menced with :  "Es  soil  uns  Gott  genadig  sein" — 
May  God  be  gracious  unto  us.  "What !"  interrupted 
the  prince,  "do  you  want  us  to  quit  praying  that 
God  may  be  gracious  unto  us  ?  Should  we  perhaps 
sing,  May  the  devil  be  gracious  unto  us?" 

Luther  again  had  led  the  way.  Many  followed  in 
his  steps.  The  great  revival  caused  an  outburst  of 
sacred  song.  Paul  Speratus,  Justus  Jonas,  Agric- 
ola,  Nicolaus  Decius,  and  others,  gave  to  the 
Church  hymns  which  still  are  quickening  her  faith. 

The  Gospel  message,  with  its  accompanying  joy 
and  peace,  was  the  mother  of  the  sacred  hymn,  the 
open  Bible  the  immediate  source  of  the  hymnal. 
The  chills  of  winter  had  passed;  spring  had  come 
with  all  its  warmth  and  light  and  life,  with  its 
budding  trees  and  blooming  flowers  ;  the  nightingale 
lifted  up  her  voice,  and  was  soon  joined  by  a  chorus 
of  birds  singing  the  praises  of  their  Maker. 
"Luther's  Bible  read  in  the  homes,  Luther's  Cate- 
chisms studied  in  the  school,  Luther's  hymns  sung 
in  the  church  and  on  the  street,  were  the  three  great 
factors  in  the  making  of  evangelical  Germany." 


CHAPTER  XX. 
THE  EDUCATOR. 

It  is  Melanchthon  who  is  known  as  the  "Prse- 
ceptor  Germanise,"  and  rightly  so.  He  was  himself 
a  master  teacher,  and  he  trained  excellent  teachers 
for  the  higher  schools  and  universities  of  Germany 
which  he  had  organized.  But  it  is  Martin  Luther 
who  is  the  real  founder  of  modern  education. 

■Mediseval  education  was  purely  religious  and 
dogmatic.  The  teachers  were  clergymen.  The 
great  aim  of  higher  education  was  to  train  theolo- 
gians ;  the  chief  end  of  general  education,  as  far  as 
it  went,  was  to  prepare  people  for  heaven  by  mak- 
ing them  obedient  to  the  Church,  The  theology  of 
the  Church  as  formulated  in  her  creeds  was  iden- 
tified with  absolute  truth,  at  least  it  was  authorita- 
tive. The  function  of  the  teacher  was  to  inculcate 
the  doctrines  of  the  Church ;  the  work  of  the  scholar 
consisted  in  expounding  and  defending  the  dogma. 

Modern  education  is  secular  and  scientific.  In 
our  schools  we  prepare  the  pupils  for  the  present 
life,  for  ministering  to  the  needs  of  society.  We 
do  so,  not  by  handing  down  formulated  truths,  but 
by  training  the  intellect  to  discover  truth  by  close 
observation  and  penetrating  research.  Modern 
civilization  is  the  product  of  scientific  research. 
Search  for  truth  is  not  possible  when  the  truth  has 
14  209 


2IO  Luther:  The;   Leader. 

been  finally  and  authoritatively  formulated.  By  at- 
tacking the  claim  of  the  mediaeval  Church  to  possess 
the  whole  truth  in  her  creeds,  Luther  opened  the 
way  to  rational,  critical  observation,  to  truly  scien- 
tific research,  and  to  independent  thought. 

The  niediseval  Church  considered  the  whole 
wide  field  of  secular  activities  as  essentially  evil. 
Nature,  with  all  her  riches  and  wonders,  was  op- 
posed to  God.  The  arts,  if  not  subservient  to  the 
Church,  were  inspired  by  the  devil ;  hvmian  intel- 
lect, when  not  in  slavish  submission  to  the  dogma, 
was  dangerous.  Luther  liberated  mankind  from 
this  unworthy  servitude,  and  taught  us  again  to 
look  upon  all  creation  as  God's  handiwork.  He 
showed  us  that  we,  as  free  children  of  God,  are 
masters  of  our  Father's  works.  Says  Goethe:  "We 
do  not  fully  appreciate  how  much  we  owe  to  Luther 
and  the  Reformation.  We  were  made  free  from 
the  shackles  of  intellectual  restraint,  and  we  have 
again  the  courage  to  stand  with  both  feet  upon 
God's  earth,  and  to  recognize  human  nature  as 
something  created  and  endowed  by  God." 

The  Renaissance  was  a  reaction  against  dog- 
matic narrowness,  fanaticism,  and  tyranny.  The 
Humanists  were  the  champions  of  secular  learning 
and  of  pure,  independent  scholarship.  But  they  dis- 
carded religion  altogether,  and,  unwilling  openly  to 
defy  the  Church,  they  either  led  a  life  of  despicable 
hypocrisy,  like  Pope  Leo  and  Cardinal  Albrecht, 
and  many  other  dignitaries  who  were  devoted 
Humanists  and  at  the  same  time  enjoyed  the  emol- 
uments of  their  Church  positions,  or  they  were 
wearing  their  strength  away  in  unsatisfactory  com- 


Buii^DiNG  Up  the;  N^w.  211 

promises  with  the  ecclesiastical  authorities,  as  Eras- 
mus of  Rotterdam,  Reuchlin,  and  others,  were  com- 
pelled to  do.  Besides,  their  endeavors  were  not  di- 
rected to  advance  popular  education  as  a  means  for 
the  uplifting  of  the  common  people.  As  to  the 
Greeks  of  old,  learning  was  to  them  an  sesthetical 
luxury,  to  be  reserved  for  the  few  favored  ones. 

It  was  Luther  who  stood  for  the  close  correla- 
tion of  religion  and  learning.  He  dealt  the  death- 
blow to  Church  authority  in  all  secular  matters,  but 
he  did  not  divorce  religion  from  secular  learning. 
Religion  and  morals  are  inseparably  connected,  and 
must  be  woven  into  the  whole  fabric  of  popular  and 
higher  education  in  order  to  train  pious  and  useful 
citizens.  The  sum  and  substance  of  Luther's  ethical 
teaching  was,  that  he  serves  God  best  who  does  his 
full  duty  in  whatever  position  he  has  been  placed  by 
God.  But  in  order  to  do  his  full  dut)'^,  a  man  must 
develop  the  powers  which  God  has  given  to  him. 
All  learning,  separate  from  application  to  the  best 
interests  of  mankind,  appears  to  him  nothing  but 
waste  of  time ;  but  as  a  means  of  serving  the  com- 
munity and  thereby  serving  God,  it  is  of  highest  im- 
portance. 

Thus  Luther  becomes  the  champion  of  popular 
education.  In  his  "Address  to  the  German  Nobil- 
ity" he  emphasizes  the  importance  of  schools  for  all 
classes  of  people,  and  later  he  wrote  two  treatises 
dealing  especially  with  the  question  of  common 
schools;  namely,  in  the  year  1524  the  "Address  to 
the  Councilmen  of  all  Cities  in  Germany,  to  Estab- 
lish and  Maintain  Christian  Schools,"  and  in  1530, 
while  in    Koburg,   "Why   Children   Should  go  to 


212  Luther:   Thr  LbadRr. 

School/'  In  these  pamphlets  he  lays  the  founda- 
tion of  modern  popular  education.  The  historian, 
Leopold  von  Ranke,  is  perfectly  right  in  saying  that 
they  "have  done  as  much  for  the  development  of 
secular  instruction  as  his  'Address  to  the  German 
Nobility'  has  done  for  the  secular  State  in  general." 

There  are  to  be,  according  to  his  plan,  three 
grades  of  schools.  The  lower  schools  are  to  be 
open  to  all  the  children,  to  boys  as  well  as  to  girls. 
Girls  must  also  have  the  benefit  of  elementary  in- 
struction, which  is  to  be  imparted  to  them  preferably 
by  women  teachers.  Boys  who  graduate  creditably, 
and  are  bright  and  promising,  should  enter  the 
higher  schools  or  gymnasia,  and  those  who  desire  to 
enter  upon  a  profession  are  to  receive  their  profes 
sional  training  at  the  universities  after  graduating 
from  a  gymnasium.  Here  we  have  our  plan  of 
grammar  schools,  high  schools  and  colleges,  and 
professional  schools. 

The  schools  are  to  be  established  and  main- 
tained by  the  cities,  "since  the  princes,  who  by 
rights  ought  to  do  it,  spend  their  time  in  senseless 
diversions  and  gluttony."  The  community  must 
provide  for  public  instruction,  since  the  schools  are 
not  only  for  preachers  or  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Church,  but  are  necessary  to  the  people,  and  since 
the  task  of  instructing  the  children  can  not  be  left 
to  the  parents  because  many  of  them  do  not  see  the 
necessity,  others  are  careless,  others  dishonest,  and 
most  of  them  are  incompetent  to  teach. 

"Every  year  we  spend  much  money  on  roads 
and  walls  and  fortifications  and  on  other  public  im- 
provements, in  order  to  secure  peace  and  prosperity 


BUII.DING  Up  the;  New.  213 

for  the  city.     Ought  we  not  to  spend  at  least  as 
much  on  the  education  of  our  children?" 

"The  growth  of  cities  does  not  consist  merely 
in  building  fine  houses,  in  strengthening  the  for- 
tifications, in  gathering  wealth ;  their  real  growth, 
peace,  and  strength  lies  in  the  bringing  up  of 
many  fine,  skilled,  sensible,  honest,  well-educated 
citizens.  They  alone  can  not  only  amass  riches,  but 
use  them  profitably  for  the  community." 

Those  who  have  the  means  may  pay  for  the 
schooling  of  their  children.  "People  ought  to  give 
at  least  half  as  much  now  for  the  education  of  their 
children  as  they  formerly  contributed  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  begging  friars  and  the  bishops ;"  but  "if 
there  be  among  the  orphans  or  among  the  children 
of  the  pO(^  bright  boys,  they  ought  to  be  sent  to 
school  at  the  expense  of  the  community."  Lack  of 
means  ought  never  to  be  a  hindrance  when  a  boy 
has  natural  gifts.  Luther  always  has  a  word  of  en- 
couragement for  the  poor  students.  "Do  n't  despise 
the  poor  students,  who  sing  in  front  of  your  houses," 
he  admonishes  the  citizens.  "I  myself  was  one  of 
them.  Let  your  son  study  even  if  he  have  to  beg 
for  his  bread.  You  give  to  the  Lord  a  fine  piece  of 
wood ;  He  can  carve  a  useful  man  out  of  it." 

It  was  the  more  necessary  to  lay  stress  upon  the 
value  of  a  liberal  education,  inasmuch  as  the  preva- 
lent opinion  was,  that  education  was  of  importance 
only  for  ecclesiastics,  and  especially  since  the  rapid 
increase  of  commerce  turned  the  attention  of  the 
citizens  almost  exclusively  to  practical  business  af- 
fairs. The  higher  studies  were  neglected  in  favor 
of  acquiring  skill  to  make  money.    We  almost  imag- 


214  Luther:  The  Leiadhr. 

ine  we  hear  a  modern  college  professor  when  we  lis- 
ten to  Luther's  words :  "Do  not  pay  attention  to  the 
spirit  of  gain  and  greed  that  despises  the  liberal 
arts  and  says  to  you,  *If  a  boy  knows  how  to  read 
and  write  German,  and  knows  his  multiplication 
table,  he  knows  enough.     He  shall  be  a  business 
man.'    They  will  soon  come  to  their  senses  and  fain 
/  dig  a  scholar  out  of  the  earth,  if  they  only  could, 
I  How    can    the    merchant    get    along    without   the 
\  preacher  or  the  lawyer  ?    If  there  were  no  preachers, 
I  there  would  soon  be  no  Word  of  God,  and  people 
I  would  turn  heathen ;  and  if  there  were  no  lawyers, 
\there  would  be  no  justice  and  no  peace,  nothing  but 
Vobbery,  murder,  wrong,  main  force." 

Luther  never  tired  of  magnifying  the  vocation 
and  work  of  the  teacher.  "An  efficient,  pious 
schoolteacher  can  not  be  honored  enough  nor 
receive  too  much  compensation.  It  is  a  shame 
how  we  undervalue  the  work  of  the  teacher. 
If  I  could  give  up  preaching,  or  were  compelled  to 
quit,  I  would  not  wish  to  be  anything  else  than  a 
schoolteacher ;  for  I  know  this  vocation  is  the  best 
and  the  most  useful  next  to  the  ministry ;  and  some- 
times I  do  n't  know  which  of  the  two  is  the  more 
important.  For  it  is  difficult  to  train  old  dogs  or  to 
reform  old  sinners,  and  this  is  what  the  preacher 
tries  to  do,  and  so  often  in  vain ;  but  young  trees 
can  be  bent,  even  if  some  of  them  should  break." 

In  the  course  of  study  Luther  desires  to  include 
everything  that  is  useful  and  beautiful.  "I  am  not 
of  the  opinion  that  the  Gospel  puts  down  and  abol- 
ishes all  arts,  as  some  who  are  over-spiritual  pre- 
tend.   I  wish  to  see  all  the  arts,  particularly  music, 


Buii^DiNG  Up  the;  New.  215 

in  the  service  of  Him  who  created  them  and  gave 
them  to  us,"  He  therefore  requires  that  teachers 
should  be  able  to  sing.  The  young  people  ought 
to  be  trained  in  music,  especially  in  singing,  "so  that 
they  may  love  songs,  not  carnal  songs,  but  some- 
thing good  and  useful." 

Next  to  the  elementary  studies  he  places  in  im- 
portance the  study  of  history,  on  account  of  its  moral 
influence  and  practical  bearing.  Children  "learn 
from  history  what  to  do  and  what  to  avoid  in  this 
life.  They  become  prudent  and  clever,  and  are  able 
to  give  sound  advice  to  others,  and  even  to  rule  over 
others." 

Mental  occupation  is  not  to  alienate  the  children 
from  manual  labor.  "My  idea  is  that  the  boys 
should  go  to  school  one  or  two  hours  every  day; 
the  rest  of  the  time  they  may  do  work  at  home,  or 
learn  a  trade.  Girls  can  well  be  spared  from  home 
for  one  hour  a  day  in  order  to  go  to  school.  They 
have  ample  time  to  do  all  their  housework  in  the 
meantime."  Those  who  are  especially  gifted  and 
bid  fair  to  become  teachers  or  preachers  or  follow 
some  other  profession  must  spend  more  time  in 
study,  and  finally  devote  their  whole  time  to  it. 
From  this  plan  of  Luther's  it  is  really  but  one  step 
to  the  instruction  in  manual  work  for  boys,  and  in 
cooking,  sewing,  and  other  household  duties  for 
girls ;  but  it  took  a  long  time  before  this  step  was 
taken,  and  even  now  the  majority  of  schools,  per- 
haps, are  lagging  behind  in  this  respect. 

Luther  did  not  believe  in  the  theory  of  "all  work 
and  no  play."  The  teachers  must  strive  to  make 
the  school  hours  pleasant  for  the  children,  so  that 


2i6  Luthe;r:   The   Leader. 

they  may  learn  "with  pleasure  and,  as  it  were,  while 
playing."  "Children  are  bound  to  run  and  jump 
and  do  things  which  are  a  delight  to  them.  We 
must  not  always  restrain  them.  It  is  not  good  con- 
stantly to  repress  them." 

As  a  means  of  disseminating  useful  knowledgs 
among  young  and  old  he  strongly  recommends  the 
establishment  of  public  libraries. 

His  common  sense  led  him  to  ridicule  the  idea  of 
some  impractical  scholars  who  wanted  to  introduce 
the  study  of  Greek  and  Hebrew  into  the  grammar 
schools,  but  he  asserted  most  emphatically  the  neces- 
sity of  the  study  of  the  ancient  languages  for  all 
students  of  theology.  "The  ancient  languages  are 
the  sheath  in  which  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  is  hid- 
den; they  are  the  casket  in  which  the  jewel  is  lying; 
they  are  the  vessel  in  which  the  drink  is  contained ; 
they  are  the  cupboard  in  which  this  meat  is  placed ; 
they  are  the  baskets  in  which  the  bread  and  fish 
crumbs  are  carried.  ...  A  plain  preacher  with 
his  German  Bible  in  his  hands  is  able  to  understand 
Christ,  to  preach  Him,  and  to  live  a  holy  life;  but 
without  the  languages  he  can  not  expound  the 
Scriptures  nor  defend  them  against  errors." 

Since  Luther  delegated  to  the  State  the  duty  of 
caring  for  religious  instruction,  it  is  perfectly  nat- 
ural that  he  should  insist  on  religious  instruction  in 
the  schools.  State  Church  system  and  compulsory 
religious  instruction  in  the  public  schools  are  nat- 
ural and  necessary  concomitants.  One  day  in  each 
week  was  to  be  given  to  religion.  The  children 
were  to  commit  selected  portions  of  the  Bible,  and 
the  teacher  was  to  instruct  them  in  Bible  history 


Building  Up  the  N^w  217 

and  in  the  truths  of  Christian  rehgion.  Rehgious 
instruction  remains  to  the  present  time  an  essential 
part  of  the  courses  in  all  State  schools  in  European 
countries. 

The  most  important  text-book  was  Luther's 
Catechism,  He  wrote  two.  The  'Xarger  Cate- 
chism" was  really  a  guide-book  for  preachers.  It 
is  a  popular  compendium  of  the  whole  body  of 
evangelical  divinity.  The  "Smaller  Catechism"  was 
the  text-book  for  schools  and  private  instruction. 
In  a  limited  number  of  questions  and  answers 
Luther  stated  succinctly  and  in  systematic  arrange- 
ment the  most  essential  parts  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. It  was  the  result  of  many  years  of  study. 
Luther  had  a  large  blackboard  in  his  own  room, 
where  he  wrote  out  the  questions  and  answers  as 
briefly  and  clearly  as  possible.  Testing  them  again 
and  again  in  his  own  family,  he  continued  to  con- 
dense and  improve  them,  and  thus  prepared  the 
little  book,  "which  can  be  bought  for  six  pennies 
but  which  could  not  be  paid  for  by  six  thousand 
worlds,"  as  Justus  Jonas  tells  us.  Another  con- 
temporary of  the  Reformer  estimates  that,  during 
the  first  thirty  years  after  its  publication,  at  least 
one  hundred  thousand  copies  were  sold,  and  he  gives 
his  opinion  of  the  value  of  the  book  in  the  following 
words :  "If  Luther  in  his  whole  life  had  done  noth- 
ing else  than  bring  his  two  Catechisms  into  the 
homes,  schools,  and  pulpits,  the  whole  world  could 
not  repay  him  sufficiently  for  the  good  which  he 
thereby  accomplished." 

We  may  consider  these  praises  extravagant ;  but, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  Luther's  Catechisms  have  done 


2i8  LuThhr:   Thk   Leader. 

more  than  anything  else  to  train  and  retain  the 
young  people  of  Lutheran  descent  in  the  faith  and 
in  the  Church  of  their  fathers.  They  are  translated 
into  all  languages  in  which  Lutheran  preachers  pro- 
claim the  Gospel.  They  are  used  as  text-books  to- 
day as  they  were  used  three  hundred  years  ago. 
More  than  one  hundred  thousand  copies  in  seven 
different  languages  are  in  use  at  the  present  day  in 
the  Lutheran  Churches  in  the  United  States. 

A  good  many  objections  may  be  raised  against 
catechetical  instruction.  It  is  dry,  barren,  does  not 
promote  spiritual  life,  substitutes  dogma  for  the 
study  of  the  Bible  at  first  hand.  Admitting  the 
truth  of  all  this,  yet  we  may  truly  say  that  Luther's 
conception  systematically  and  constantly  to  train 
children  m  the  truths  of  religion  is  right.  The 
methods  may  change  in  accordance  with  the  im- 
proved methods  of  child  training,  the  principle  re- 
mains. Catechetical  instruction  without  spiritual 
life  may  develop  dead  formalism ;  but  it  is  equally 
true  that  dramatic  conversions  without  Christian 
nurture  generate  an  unsteady,  emotional  type  of 
Christian  life,  which  fails  to  develop  into  a  full- 
orbed  Christian  character.  Sound  and  thorough  in- 
struction combined  with  personal  consecration  to 
God  forms  the  foundation  of  a  consistent  Christian 
character.    Both  are  needed. 

Present  indications  are  that  the  American 
Churches  are  waking  up  to  the  fact  that  it  is  poor 
policy  to  rely  too  much  on  spasmodic,  emotional  re- 
vivals to  bring  the  young  people  to  an  experimental 
knowledge  of  Christ ;  they  will  in  the  future  pay 
more  attention  to  systematic  instruction,  not  in  dead 


Building  Up  the  Nkw.  219 

dogmas,  but  in  vital  verities.  And  present  indica- 
tions point  also  to  the  fact  that  the  American  people 
will  realize  more  than  heretofore  that  purely  secular 
education  may  produce  strong  and  well-trained  in- 
tellects, but  that  the  highest  interests  of  our  nation 
demand  men  of  sterling  character,  of  pure  honesty, 
of  unmitigated  unselfishness.  Education  in  religion 
and  morals  blended  with  intellectual  training  can 
alone  produce  such  men. 

This  is  the  way  which  was  pointed  out  by 
Luther.  The  sooner  we  decide  to  follow  him,  the 
better  it  will  be  for  the  American  people. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
PREACHER  AND  WRITER. 

While  Luther  preached  very  often  in  Witten- 
berg as  well  as  in  other  cities,  and  sometimes  to 
large  audiences,  he  reached  still  more  people  by 
means  of  printer's  ink  than  by  the  spoken  word. 
He  was  the  first  preacher  to  use  the  printing-press 
extensively  for  the  purpose  of  promulgating  his 
opinions.  Both  the  quantity  of  his  writings  and 
the  immense  circulation  would  be  remarkable  even 
in  our  time,  much  more  so  three  hundred  years 
ago  when  the  art  of  printing  was  still  in  its  infancy. 

The  first  edition  of  his  collected  works,  com- 
menced in  1539  and  finished  twelve  years  after  his 
death  in  1558,  numbers  twelve  large  volumes  in  the 
German  language  and  seven  volumes  in  Latin.  But 
these  nineteen  folio  volumes  contain  onl}'  the  small- 
est portion  of  his  literary  work.  The  two  modern 
editions,  the  so-called  Erlangen  Edition,  published 
from  1862-1885,  fills  sixty-seven  large  octavo  vol- 
umes of  German  and  thirty-eight  volumes  of  Latin 
writings.  Even  this  edition  is  far  from  being  com- 
plete. During  the  last  few  years  a  number  of  un- 
published letters  and  sermons,  most  of  the  latter 
taken  down  by  students,  have  come  to  light  in 
various  archives  and  libraries  of  German  cities.  The 
latest  edition,  which  is  to  contain  all  the  works  of 
the  great  Reformer  in  their  chronological  order, 
220 


Building  Up  the  Nmv.  221 

is  being  edited  by  an  official  commission  of  German 
scholars  under  the  auspices  of  the  government. 
This  so-called  Weimar  Edition  is  progressing 
slowly,  and  numbers  at  present  thirty-two  volumes. 
Luther's  works  comprise  sermons,  letters,  contro- 
versial writings,  tracts  for  the  times,  commentaries, 
books  of  devotion,  theological  discussions,  thus  pre- 
senting a  great  variety  and  range  of  subjects. 

Bearing  in  mind  that  he  fulfilled  regularly  the 
duties  incumbent  upon  his  position  as  a  university 
professor,  we  may  well  marvel  at  the  number  of 
sermons  which  he  preached.  For  years  he  filled 
every  Sunday  the  pulpit  in  the  Wittenberg  Stadt- 
Kirche,  besides  conducting  regular  Sunday  services 
with  the  monks  and  in  later  years  with  his  family, 
his  "Hausgemeinde,"  as  he  called  it,  which  included 
all  the  guests  and  servants.  Very  frequently  he 
was  called  out  of  town  to  preach  on  special  occa- 
sions, and  not  many  trips  did  he  make  without  be- 
ing called  upon  to  expound  the  Word  of  God. 

In  most  places  the  people  were  eager  to  hear 
him.  When  reaching  Orlamiinde  during  the 
troubles  occasioned  by  Karlstadt,  the  whole  popu- 
lace was  in  the  fields  harvesting,  but  they  left  their 
work  and  assembled  in  the  church.  At  Zwickau, 
where  he  went  shortly  after  returning  from  the 
Wartburg  in  order  to  counteract  the  influence  of 
the  fanatical  prophets,  an  immense  concourse  of 
people  flocked  to  hear  him.  He  preached  from  a 
windov/  in  the  city  hall  to  over  twenty-five  thousand 
people  who  crowded  the  market-place,  and  a  little 
later  he  addressed  an  audience  that  filled  the  castle 
court. 


222  Luthivk:   The:   Leader. 

In  Wittenberg  he,  as  a  rule,  preached  expository 
sermons  on  whole  Biblical  books,  his  favorite  books 
being  Genesis  and  the  first  Epistle  of  St.  Peter. 
While  fully  persuaded  that  the  chief  aim  of  preach- 
ing was  to  acquaint  the  congregation  with  the  truths 
of  the  Bible,  and  more  especially  to  set  forth  Christ 
in  his  various  offices,  he  did  not  consider  it  un- 
seemly to  treat  vital  problems  of  the  day  in  his  ser- 
mons. Most  famous  in  this  respect  are  his  "Eight 
Sermons,"  preached  after  the  return  from  the  Wart- 
burg,  in  which  he  reviewed  the  whole  religious  and 
political  situation.  A  number  of  his  political  and 
social  pamphlets  are  really  the  substance  of  ser- 
mons which  he  preached  on  those  questions. 

Most  of  the  sermons  which  appeared  in  print 
were  taken  down  by  interested  hearers.  He  seldom 
took  the  time  to  revise  the  manuscripts ;  frequently 
they  were  printed  without  his  consent.  There  being 
at  that  time  no  copyright,  his  sermons,  as  well  as  his 
other  publications,  were  often  reprinted  in  other 
cities,  notably  in  Niirnberg,  Basel,  Strassburg. 
While  the  sermons  were  published  mostly  in  pam- 
phlet form,  there  appeared  also  some  collections  of 
sermons.  Of  special  importance  are  his  "Haus- 
Postille,"  consisting  of  sermons  preached  on  Sunday 
mornings  to  his  own  family  and  taken  down  by  his 
friend  George  Rorer,  and  his  "Kirchen-Postille." 
This  latter  is  the  only  collection  which  he  himself 
edited.  He  commenced  it  as  early  as  15 19,  worked 
at  it  during  his  stay  on  the  Wartburg,  and  published 
it  later  in  Wittenberg.  Next  to  the  Bible  and  the 
Catechisms  it  was  the  most  popular  of  all  his  books, 
and  Luther  considered  it  his  best.    "Even  the  pa- 


Building  Up  the;  Nsw.  223 

pists  like  it,"  he  casuall}-  remarked.  It  contains  ser- 
mons on  the  Gospels  and  Epistles  of  the  Church 
Year,  designed  to  be  read  in  churches  by  pastors 
who  were  too  ignorant  to  compose  their  own  ser- 
mons. Luther  thought  it  better  for  all  concerned 
that  a  weak  preacher  should  read  to  his  congrega- 
tion a  good  sermon  written  by  some  one  else  than 
to  pass  off  on  them  his  own  poor  production. 

Together  with  Melanchthon,  Luther  became  the 
founder  of  a  new  school  of  preaching.  Formerly 
the  sermon  occupied  a  subordinate  place  only  in  the 
Church  service ;  Luther  placed  it  in  the  very  center 
of  public  worship.  Formerly  it  consisted  of  dry 
dogmatics  and  scholastic  speculations,  or  it  was  a 
recital  of  all  sorts  of  funny  stories,  gleaned  from 
the  lives  of  the  saints  and  recited  for  the  amusement 
of  the  hearers.  It  is  hardly  conceivable  what  vulgar 
and  coarse  jokes  were  told  from  the  pulpit,  es- 
pecially before  and  after  the  Lenten  season,  for  the 
purpose  of  provoking  what  was  called  Easter  laugh- 
ter. The  pulpit  was  degraded  into  a  school  of  buf- 
foonery. Luther  gave  to  the  sermon  its  place  of  dig- 
nity ;  he  made  the  pulpit  the  throne  of  sacred  elo- 
quence, even  more  so  than  in  the  days  of  Chrys- 
ostom. 

A  good  sermon,  he  writes,  "must  be  delivered 
slowly  and  without  screaming  or  startling  gestures. 
.  .  .  Above  all,  a  sermon  must  not  be  long.  A 
preacher  must  cultivate  the  art  of  saying  much  in 
few  words.  If  you  can  not  preach  an  hour,  preach 
half  an  hour  or  fifteen  minutes.  A  good  preacher 
will  stop  when  people  are  anxious  to  hear  more  of 
him  and  think  the  best  is  still  coming.    But  if  they 


224  Luther:   The   Leader. 

are  disgusted  and  unwilling  to  listen  any  longer, 
wishing  that  he  might  soon  come  to  a  close,  it  is 
a  bad  thing.  If  the  people  say,  'I  could  have  listened 
to  him  much  longer,'  it  is  good ;  if  they  say,  *0 
pshaw!  he  just  jabbered,  and  couldn't  find  the  end,' 
it  is  very  bad." 

He  also  emphasized  the  need  of  confining  one's 
self  to  the  subject  in  hand.  "He  is  a  foolish  preacher 
who  thinks  he  must  say  everything  he  knows."  The 
sermon  ought  always  to  be  adapted  to  the  occasion. 
He  tells  of  a  good  old  divine,  who,  in  a  hospital 
where  his  audience  consisted  of  poor  old  women, 
preached  on  the  married  state,  its  divine  sanction, 
and  its  blessings. 

Quite  frequently  we  find  him  admonishing  his 
students  to  use  plain  and  simple  language.  These 
warnings  were  the  more  in  place  since  the  theolog- 
ical students  received  most  of  their  training  by 
means  of  the  Latin  language ;  they  read  almost  ex- 
clusively Latin  books ;  they  heard  Latin  lectures 
and  spoke  Latin.  Latin  was  the  universal  language 
of  the  scholars.  We  can  well  see  how  this  would 
influence  the  style  of  the  preachers,  the  more  so 
since  the  German  language  was  as  yet  uncouth,  not 
at  all  polished.  "In  the  pulpit  speak  just  as  you 
would  at  home,"  is  his  advice ;  "use  your  mother 
tongue,  plain  and  simple,  so  that  everybody  can  un- 
derstand you."  Of  his  "Church-Postille"  he  says 
himself,  "The  Gospel  is  prepared  plainly  and  care- 
fully, just  as  a  mother  prepares  the  food  for  her 
baby." 

"When  I  preach  in  the  Stadt-Kirche  I  stoop 
down,"  he  remarked  in  one  of  his  Table  Talks.    "I 


Building  Up  the  New.  225 

do  not  look  up  to  the  Doctors  and  the  Masters  of 
Arts,  of  whom  there  are  about  forty  in  my  audience, 
but  I  look  down  upon  the  crowd  of  young  people, 
children,  and  servants,  of  whom  there  are  several 
hundreds,  sometimes  thousands.  To  them  I  preach. 
To  them  I  adapt  myself.  They  need  it.  If  the  Doc- 
tors do  n't  care  to  hear  that  style  of  preaching,  the 
door  is  open  for  them  to  leave." 

Luther  always  did  use  great  plainness  of  speech. 
Nobody  will  deny  that  fact.  Those  who  heard  him 
or  read  his  publications  never  were  left  in  doubt 
as  to  what  he  meant.  But  he  also,  especially  in  his 
controversial  writings,  used  language  which  is 
coarse  beyond  measure.  He  lived  in  a  coarse  age, 
an  age  that  had  no  sense  for  what  is  decent  and 
what  is  undecent  in  public  utterance.  To  call  a  man 
"a  beast,"  "an  ass,"  "a  hog;"  to  advise  him  "to  go 
back  to  his  pig-pen,"  and  to  use  other  expressions 
which  to-day  no  gentleman  would  dream  of  employ- 
ing, was  not  considered  out  of  place  at  all.  Con- 
troversies consisted  to  a  great  extent  in  slinging  at 
the  adversary  the  foulest  and  vilest  abuses.  L,uther 
was  no  exception  to  the  rule.  In  this  respect  he 
was  a  child  of  his  time.  His  vocabulary  of  vituper- 
ative expressions  of  the  most  forceful  kind  was  as 
full  as  that  of  Geiler,  Rabelais,  Murner,  and  other 
writers  of  high  repute.  His  opponents  heaped 
calumny  and  personal  abuse  upon  him,  and  he  paid 
them  back  in  good  measure.  Upon  the  pope,  Duke 
George  of  Saxony,  King  Henry  VIII  of  England, 
Duke  Henry  of  Wolfenbiittel,  he  poured  out  the 
vials  of  his  wrath;  of  course,  not  without  being 
provoked  by  them,  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Eng? 
15 


226  Luthe;r:  The;  Lkadejr. 

land  called  Luther,  among  other  flattering  things, 
"an  ugly,  bleating,  lost  sheep,  that  had  found  refuge 
in  the  devil's  belly."  Luther  answered  in  execrable 
language,  and  apologized  for  it  by  saying,  ''If  the 
King  of  England  is  at  liberty  to  spit  out  his  im- 
pudent lies,  I  am  free  to  thrust  them  back  again 
into  his  throat." 

His  "plainness  of  speech"  was  often  a  source  of 
embarrassment  to  the  evangelical  politicians.  The 
ambassador  of  the  Elector  wrote  upon  one  occasion 
to  his  master  that,  according  to  his  opinion,  "no 
harm  could  be  done  to  the  faith  nor  to  the  saving 
of  souls  if  Dr.  Marfeinus  would  see  fit  to  refrain 
from  using  insulting  and  sarcastic  language  against 
the  emperor  and  the  government."  Several  times 
it  occurred  that  his  manuscripts  were  held  back  by 
the  court,  and  that  he  was  requested,  by  the  Elector, 
"not  to  publish  anything  about  any  prince  or  noble 
personage  without  permission."  But  Luther  was 
not  the  kind  of  man  to  ask  permission.  "Not  half 
of  what  has  been  done  would  have  been  accom- 
plished, if  I  had  followed  the  advice  of  the  politi- 
cians," he  wrote  to  Melanchthon.  And  again  he 
complains :  "Whatever  these  people  [the  Catholic 
princes]  do,  is  all  right,  even  if  they  drown  the 
country  and  all  its  inhabitants  in  innocent  blood; 
and  such  people  you  want  me  to  handle  with  gloves 
and  to  court  and  flatter  them,  and  say,  'My  gracious 
Lord ;  how  wise  and  pious  you  are !'  " 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  untamed  wildness  in 
Luther's  make-up,  and  the  attacks  of  his  enemies 
called  forth  the  whole  force  of  his  "Furor  Teutoni- 
cus."    To  be  sure,  his  style  of  controversy  would 


Building  Up  the;  New.  227 

not  be  tolerated  to-day.  But  in  view  of  the  many 
attacks  made  upon  his  character  by  CathoHc  writ- 
ers in  the  past  and  at  present,  we  may  ask  the  ques- 
tion, Were  his  coarse  expressions  too  strong  con- 
sidering that  they  were  hurled  against  a  system 
which  silenced  milder  voices  by  fire  and  sword  ?  We 
may  find  fault  with  him,  but  before  judging  him  too 
severely  it  is  well  to  ask  whether  he  would  have 
succeeded  in  arousing  his  narrow-minded,  lethargic, 
dull,  coarse  countrymen,  if  he  had  addressed  them 
in  the  polished  language  of  the  Humanists  or  of 
Goethe  ? 

And  he  certainly  did  arouse  them.  No  author 
was  more  successful.  None  understood  better  the 
soul  of  his  people  and  knew  how  to  touch  it.  Even 
his  enemies  could  not  help  imitating  his  style  if  they 
wanted  to  have  a  hearing.  Duke  George,  having 
read  his  pamphlet  on  the  question  whether  soldiers 
could  be  Christians,  and  not  knowing  who  its  au- 
thor was,  was  highly  pleased  with  it,  and  remarked, 
"Here  is  a  book  which  is  much  better  than  anything 
which  Luther  ever  wrote."  Upon  being  informed 
that  no  one  else  than  Luther  had  written  it,  he  said 
in  disgust,  "What  a  pity  that  such  a  cursed  monk 
should  write  a  splendid  book  like  this !" 

In  spite  of  his  immoderate  language,  Luther 
was  kind  toward  his  opponents,  ever  ready  to  for- 
give them  and  to  help  them  when  in  need.  He  har- 
bored no  personal  rancor.  When  Tetzel  was  on  his 
death-bed  in  Leipzig,  Luther  sent  him  a  beautiful 
letter.  When  Karlstadt  was  compelled  to  flee  for 
his  life,  not  knowing  where  to  take  refuge,  he  ap- 
plied to  Luther.    And  Luther,  whom  Karlstadt  had 


228  Luther:   The   Lead£;r. 

wronged  and  insulted  and  attacked,  kept  him  in 
hiding  in  his  own  house,  and  even  urged  the  Elector 
to  pardon  him  and  grant  him  permission  to  settle 
again  in  the  Electorate. 

No  trace  of  coarseness  can  be  detected  in 
Luther's  devotional  and  expository  writings.  He 
had  a  peculiar  gift  to  comfort  the  afflicted,  and  some 
of  his  best  devotional  tracts  were  written  to  persons 
who  were  friendly  to  the  Gospel,  to  comfort  them 
in  their  sorrows. 

His  strong  sense  of  humor,  his  satirical  vein, 
and  also  his  deeply  religious  and  poetical  soul, 
formed  a  rare  combination  of  literary  qualities,  and 
enabled  him  to  produce  the  most  diversified  writ- 
ings. But  all  of  them,  widely  different  as  they  were 
— his  hymns  as  well  as  his  satirical  epigrams ;  his 
soul-stirring  addresses,  like  his  lampoons ;  his 
theological  treatises  and  his  renderings  of  the  He- 
brew seers  and  singers — were  all  in  the  service  of 
the  one  great  idea ;  viz.,  the  religious  and  moral 
regeneration  of  the  German  people. 

And  while  writing  and  preaching  with  this  all- 
absorbing  aim  in  view,  Martin  Luther  gave  to  his 
people  another  gift  of  priceless  value, — a  language. 
Says  Jacob  Grimm  in  his  monumental  German 
Grammar:  "The  language  of  Luther,  owing  to  its 
noble  purity  and  its  powerful  influence,  has  become 
the  foundation  of  modern  High  German.  The 
changes  which  were  made  up  to  the  present  time 
are  insignificant,  and  are  for  the  most  part  not  an 
improvement  but  a  deterioration  of  its  force  and 
lucidity." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
POLITICAL  AND  SOCIAL  VIEWS. 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  field  of  human  activity 
where  the  individual  is  more  influenced  by  the  gen- 
eral currents  of  thought,  by  what  Luther's  country- 
men call  "Zeitgeist,"  than  the  sphere  of  political  and 
social  problems.  Hereditary  tendencies,  environ- 
ment, religious  convictions,  family  or  business  rela- 
tions, personal  likes  and  dislikes,  all  enter  into  mold- 
ing one's  views  and  mapping  out  the  course  of  ac- 
tion. 

There  is  moreover  no  other  sphere  of  activity 
where  the  divergence  between  theory  and  practice, 
between  the  ideal  and  the  real,  between  what  is  de- 
sirable and  what  is  possible  under  existing  circum.- 
stances,  appears  as  painfully  evident  as  it  does  here. 

The  idealist  knows  what  ought  to  be  done,  or  at 
least  he  thinks  he  does.  The  man  of  affairs  knows 
how  much  can  actually  be  accomplished.  Very 
often  these  two  fail  to  understand  each  other.  The 
idealist  accuses  the  man  of  affairs  of  lowering  the 
standards.  He  refuses  to  accept  any  compromises. 
"Aut  Caesar  aut  nihil" — Either  his  ideal  or  nothing. 
The  man  of  affairs  is  apt  to  look  upon  the  idealist 
as  a  crank,  a  well-meaning  but  useless,  if  not  dan- 
gerous, dreamer,  who  is  unwilling  to  lend  a  hand  in 
achieving  what  is  an  improvement  over  previous 
229 


230  LuTHRR :   The  Leade;r. 

conditions.  Sometimes  both  tendencies  are  com- 
bined in  one  man.  He  has  lofty  ideals,  but  he  is 
ready  to  compromise  in  order  to  advance  one  step  at 
a  time,  when  he  sees  that  he  can  not  reach  the  goal 
in  one  jump.  He  keeps,  however,  the  goal  con- 
stantly in  view,  and  presses  on  toward  it.  These 
men,  after  all,  accomplish  the  most  tangible  results ; 
but  they  are  the  men  who  are  most  easily  misunder- 
stood, and  may  sometimes  be  accused  of  inconsist- 
ency. 

Martin  Luther  belonged  to  this  class  of  men. 
The  necessary  consequences  of  his  fundamental  doc- 
trine of  the  universal  priesthood  of  the  believer  is 
a  free  Church,  yet  he  linked  the  Church  to  the 
State.  His  doctrine  of  the  freedom  of  the  Chris- 
tian will  result  in  a  free  State,  yet  he  was  the  ad- 
vocate of  the  absolute  power  of  the  rulers.  He 
used  the  strongest  language  against  the  rulers  as 
a  class.  And  yet  Luther  denounced  revolutionary 
measures  or  use  of  force  against  those  same  rulers. 

Luther  could  have  incited  the  evangelical  princes 
and  the  knights  to  a  war  against  the  emperor  for 
religious  liberty ;  he  could  have  been  the  leader  of 
the  hosts  of  the  peasants  in  their  battle  for  civic 
rights.  He  did  not  choose  to  do  so.  Some  say  he 
missed  the  greatest  opportunity  of  his  life.  We 
rather  think  he  did  wisely  in  refusing  to  be  carried 
away  by  a  popular  uprising,  widespread  though  it 
was,  which  was  premature,  carried  on  by  unre- 
strained passion,  but  was  not  the  outgrowth  of  ma- 
ture conviction  and  based  on  ability  for  self-gov- 
ernment. 

It  is  utterly  useless  in  historical  matters  to  spec- 


Building  Up  the  New.  231 

ulate  on  the  question  what  might  have  happened  if 
certain  events  had  not  taken  place  or  had  occurred 
differently.  We  can  not  know  what  Luther  would 
have  done  if  religious  fanaticism  and  social  revo- 
lutionism had  not  developed  so  rapidly  and  pro- 
duced the  disastrous  resuhs  which  Luther  saw  with 
his  own  eyes.  There  is  little  doubt  that  he  would 
have  taken  a  different  course.  But  we  do  know  that, 
ever  since  the  fateful  year  of  the  Wittenberg  dis- 
turbances and  since  the  Peasants'  War,  Luther  had 
no  use  for  democratic  forms  of  government.  "The 
ass  wants  the  whip,  and  the  mob  wants  to  be  gov- 
erned by  compulsion,"  he  was  wont  to  say.  The 
outbreaks  convinced  him  that,  to  place  power  into 
the  hands  of  the  common  people,  meant  religious 
and  social  anarchy.  He  never  afterward  showed 
the  same  fervent  enthusiasm  which  permeated  his 
former  utterances,  for  instance,  in  his  "Address  to 
the  German  Nobility." 

He  was  still  more  confirmed  in  his  views  by  the 
excesses  of  the  Anabaptist  radicals  and  fanatics 
who,  in  the  year  1534,  established  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  in  the  city  of  Miinster,  a  commonwealth  the 
chief  characteristics  of  which  were  religious  bigotry, 
sensual  debauchery,  despotism,  and  utter  contempt 
for  law  and  order. 

There  is  certainly  a  vast  difference  between 
Luther's  way  of  looking  at  the  mutual  relations  be- 
tween government  and  people  and  the  modern  point 
of  view.  He  was  firmly  convinced  that  whatever 
form  of  government  happened  to  exist  was  in  ex- 
istence by  Divine  authority.  It  was,  accordingly, 
never  lawful  for  a  Christian  to  rebel  against  a  Di- 


232  Luther:   The;  Leader. 

vinely  appointed  institution.  Christian  life  consists 
in  believing,  loving,  suffering,  not  in  disorder!}^ 
clamoring  for  betterment  of  outward  conditions  of 
life.  Absolute  monarchism  by  the  grace  of  God, 
and  democratic  government  by  the  people,  of  the 
people,  for  the  people,  represent  two  different  types, 
not  only  of  civilization,  but  of  "Weltanschauung." 
Luther  stood  with  both  feet  in  the  former,  although 
he  pointed  the  way  to  the  latter. 

Furthermore,  to  Luther  the  spiritual  blessings  of 
the  Gospel  were  of  paramount  importance.  His 
whole  work  hinged,  as  we  have  seen,  on  the  change 
in  the  relation  of  the  individual  to  his  God.  To 
have  his  sins  forgiven,  to  be  right  with  God,  was 
the  fundamental  question.  Everything  else  was  of 
minor  concern.  It  was  certainly  the  duty  of  every 
Christian  to  serve  his  neighbor  as  best  he  could, 
and  also  to  do  the  best  for  his  country.  But  the 
more  political  disappointments  he  had  to  meet,  the 
less  he  emphasized  this  point,  though  he  never  re- 
ceded from  it.  He  never  in  his  whole  career  iden- 
tified the  Christian  religion  with  any  social  or  polit- 
ical platform. 

In  our  times  we  frequently  meet  with  the  op- 
posite idea.  The  purely  spiritual  blessings  of  the 
Gospel  are  brushed  aside,  and  the  social  and  tem- 
poral benefits  of  Christian  civilization  are  consid- 
ered matters  of  prime  importance.  Christianity  is 
to  many  minds,  in  the  first  place,  the  most  potent 
factor  in  the  progress  of  civilization  in  the  better- 
ment of  the  outward  conditions  of  life. 

Luther's  religion  was  first  a  spiritual  force.  He 
was  a  representative  of  other-worldliness,  not,  how- 


Building  Up  the  Nijw.  633 

ever,  without  a  very  marked  admixture  of  sane  this- 
sidedness.  To  many,  religion  is  something  per- 
taining essentially  to  this  world,  with  only  a  slight 
and  misty  sprinkling  of  other-worldliness. 

Again,  we  must  insist  that  Luther  be  placed  in 
the  light  of  his  time,  in  order  not  to  underrate  his 
real  contributions  to  the  advance  march  of  hu- 
manity. 

He  was  the  first  who  freed  the  secular  govern- 
ment from  being  nothing  but  the  tool  of  the  Church. 
During  all  the  centuries  of  the  Middle  Ages  the 
Church  had  used  the  State  to  further  her  own  inter- 
ests. But  Luther  had  also  to  resist  the  mischievous 
tendencies  of  those  who  held  that  children  of  God 
ought  not  to  pollute  themselves  by  stepping  down 
into  a  mire  of  politics,  as  well  as  the  Biblical  literal- 
ism of  others.  Quite  a  number  looked  upon  the 
Old  Testament  as  containing  the  authoritative  civil 
code  for  society  and  State,  and  they  endeavored  to 
establish  a  Christian  commonwealth  on  the  basis  of 
the  Mosaic  legislation. 

Luther  had  common  sense  enough  to  take  a 
lively  interest  in  political  and  social  questions,  and 
often  took  occasion  to  express  his  views  in  sermons 
and  pamphlets,  and  he  was  sane  enough  to  distin- 
guish between  the  transitory  order  of  the  Mosaic 
law  and  the  permanent  principles  of  the  Gospel.  He 
enunciated  clearly  thai  the  political  and  ceremonial 
requirements  of  the  Mosaic  code  are  not  binding 
for  Christians. 

His  theory  of  religious  liberty  was  far  in  ad- 
vance of  his  age.  Says  he :  "The  government  shall 
not  prevent  people  from  believing  and  teaching  what 


L/ 


\j 


234  IvUThe;r:   The   IvUadkr. 

appears  right  to  their  own  minds,  be  it  the  truth  of 
the  Gospel  or  an  error.  It  is  sufficient  if  the  gov- 
ernment repress  strife  and  rebelhon."  In  his  ser- 
mon on  the  subject,  "Temporal  Alagistrates,  and 
How  Far  They  have  to  be  Obeyed,"  he  elucidates 

I  that  the  office  of  the  government,  as  founded  upon 
the  Scriptures,  is  threefold:  (i)  To  establish  and 
preserve  peace;  (2)  To  punish  the  wicked;  (3)  To 
protect  the  innocent.  Government  can  not  coerce 
the  faith  or  the  religion  of  the  subjects.  Compul- 
sion leads  only  to  hypocrisy.  "Heresy  is  something 
pertaining  to  the  spiritual  world.  You  can  not  cut 
it  with  iron,  nor  burn  it  with  fire,  nor  drown  it  in 
water.  You  can  not  drive  the  devil  out  of  the  heart 
by  destroying  with  sword  or  fire  the  vessels  in  which 
he  lives.  This  is  like  fighting  lightning  with  a  blade 
of  straw." 

Correct  as  these  sentiments  are,  Luther  himself 
did  not  always  carry  them  into  practice.  He  did 
not,  especially  in  his  later  years,  grant  to  others 
what  he  demanded  for  himself;  namely,  this  free- 
dom of  conscience.  Neither  have  the  Lutheran 
State  Churches  exercised  tolerance.  Where  the 
Lutheran  State  Church  is  in  power  to-day,  she  still 
calls  upon  the  civil  magistrates  to  hinder  by  fines 
and  penalties  the  free  exercise  of  religious  worship, 
and  to  curtail  the  privileges  of  those  citizens  who 
adhere  to  evangelical  denominations  which  she  is 
pleased  to  call  "sects." 

Luther  was  a  close  observer  of  all  the  move- 
ments of  his  time,  and  so  he  coiild  not  help  notic- 
ing the  changing  social  conditions.  We  have  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  beginning  of  the  six- 


Building  Up  the  New.  235 

teenth  century  was  a  period  of  traufition.  German}- 
changed  from  an  agricultural  into  a  commercial 
countr}'.  The  discover}-  of  the  New  World  changed 
the  social  structure  of  the  Old  World.  Up  to  the 
sixteenth  century  tilling  the  soil  and  handling  the 
products  thereof  constituted  virtually  the  only 
means  of  income.  Now  commercial  companies  were 
formed.  Money  could  be  invested  and  produce 
more  money  quite  independent  of  the  harvests  of  the 
home  fields.  Slowly  money  became  the  basis  of  the 
social  structure.  Its  power  increased;  riches  ac- 
cumulated ;  the  free  cities  grew  and  prospered.  The 
old  order  was  passing  away,  and  there  evolved  the 
beginnings  of  our  modern  social  conditions.  In  a 
former  chapter  we  have  noticed  how  these  changes 
produced  general  unrest  and  dissatisfaction,  and 
how  finally,  in  connection  with  the  religious  move- 
ment, the  social  revolution  broke  forth.  The  revolt 
was  crushed,  but  the  causes  effecting  the  changes 
remained  at  work. 

Luther  never  saw  the  real  cause  of  the  change. 
He  remained  to  the  end  of  his  life  a  representative 
of  the  old  order  of  things.  He  was  convinced  that 
tilling  the  soil  was  really  the  only  legitimate  and 
God-ordained  means  of  gaining  a  livelihood ;  in  the 
next  place  came  a  useful  trade.  Commerce  was  evil 
in  itself,  and  its  roots  were  greed  and  the  passion 
to  get  rich.  He  could  not  see  the  justice  of  lending 
money  and  taking  interest  without  doing  any  work 
for  it.  He  thought  that  each  man  had  to  work  with 
his  own  hands ;  to  take  money  in  any  other  way  was 
outright  robbery.  He  was  therefore  positively  op-  i 
posed  to  the  taking  of  interest.      Whoever  lends 


1/ 


236  IvUTHJiK:    The;   Le;ade;r. 

money  ought  also  to  assume  the  risk,  and  take  inter- 
est only  when  his  debtor  earned  enough  over  and 
above  a  fair  compensation  for  his  trouble.  If,  not- 
withstanding his  honest  and  persistent  efforts,  he 
met  with  reverses,  then  the  creditor  ought  to  bear 
the  loss.  Luther's  pamphlet  on  "Commerce  and 
Usury,"  in  which  he  elaborates  his  ideas,  is  called 
by  Professor  Schmoller  "the  most  interesting  treat- 
ise on  social  and  economic  questions  written  dur- 
ing the  whole  period  of  the  Reformation." 

He  is  very  strong  in  his  denunciations  of  the 
practice  of  charging  high  prices  for  the  necessities 
of  life,  simply  in  order  to  make  money.  The  idea 
underlying  the  formation  of  trusts  is  to  him  in- 
human and  unchristian.  IMerchants  are  entitled  tc 
a  fair  compensation  for  their  risk  and  for  their 
trouble,  but  they  have  no  moral  right  to  charge  ex- 
orbitant prices  in  order  to  get  rich  quickly.  He 
suggests  that  a  court  be  instituted  and  intrusted  with 
authority  to  regulate  and  fix  prices.  This,  he  thinks, 
would  be  fair  and  just  to  producer  and  consumer 
alike. 

Interstate  commerce  is  especially  objectionable 
in  his  eyes.  It  only  breeds  extravagance.  "Ger- 
many can  produce  everything  that  we  need.  Why 
send  money  to  foreign  nations  for  the  purpose  of 
purchasing  goods  which  are  not  necessary  at  all? 
God  has  cursed  us  Germans,  so  that  we  throw  our 
money,  our  silver,  and  our  gold  into  the  hands  of 
foreign  nations,  to  make  them  rich,  and  remain  beg- 
gars ourselves.  England  would  have  less  gold  if 
we  would  not  buy  clothes  of  her ;  the  King  of  Por- 
tugal would  have  less  money  if  we  left  him  his 


Building  Up  thic  N^w.  237 

spices.  Just  figure  up  how  much  money  is  sent  to 
foreign  countries  without  any  just  cause,  and  you 
will  be  surprised  that  there  is  a  penny  left  in  our 
German  lands." 

His  views  on  the  use  of  money  are  sound,  f 
"Riches  are  not  bad  in  themselves,  nor  is  poverty 
anything  good  in  itself.  Everything  depends  upon 
the  man  who  uses  it.  God  does  not  require  of  us  to 
be  without  money,  as  some  fools  among  the  philoso- 
phers and  some  crazy  saints  among  the  Christians 
have  taught.  He  permits  some  to  become  rich,  but 
he  does  not  want  them  to  set  their  hearts  and  their 
love  on  their  money.  .  .  .  The  fatal  mistake  is 
made  when  people  consider  themselves  the  owners 
while  they  are  but  stewards.  .  .  .  You  may 
earn  as  much  as  you  can  in  an  honest  way  and  in 
the  fear  of  God,  not  in  order  to  gratify  your  avarice, 
but  in  order  to  use  it  for  others." 

He  also  sees  the  dangers  of  riches.  "It  is  very 
difficult  for  a  rich  man  to  learn  poverty  in  spirit. 
.  .  .  Alan  can  endure  many  things,  but  not  good 
days.  If  he  has  too  much  of  a  good  thing,  like  an 
ass,  he  goes  on  the  ice  and  breaks  his  leg,  simply 
because  he  is  faring  too  well." 

Luther  was  no  social  reformer.  He  had  no  pro-  l^^ 
gram  or  thought-out  plans  for  solving  the  social 
problems  which  confronted  his  age.  But  personally 
he  lost  no  opportunity  to  assist  poor  mechanics  and 
peasants.  He  did  his  best  to  obtain  work  for  them 
and  went  to  considerable  trouble  on  their  account. 
Among  his  letters  we  find  quite  a  number  addressed 
to  princes  and  noblemen,  in  which  he  solicits  aid 
and  a  chance  for  work  for  worthy  persons.    He  had 


238  Luther:  The  Leader. 

no  far-reaching  plans,  but  he  had  a  heart  full  of 
love  and  sympathy,  and  had  practical  help  for  those 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  And  the  principles 
of  honesty,  fairness,  and  readiness  to  help  and  serve 
others  are,  after  all,  the  essential  elements  of  social 
progress,  however  the  outward  conditions  may 
change  in  adaptation  to  the  changes  in  civilization. 
In  his  lectures  on  "Christianity  and  Socialism," 
Dr.  Washington  Gladden  asks  the  question:  "Is  the 
economic  fact  or  the  spiritual  fact  fundamental  in 
human  society?  Are  we  competitors  or  are  we 
brothers?  This  is  the  central  question.  Upon  the 
answer  to  this  question  the  peace  and  welfare  of 
the  nation,  of  the  whole  world,  must  largely  de- 
pend." No  one  can  read  Luther's  utterances  with- 
out perceiving  at  once  that  he  enunciated  the  prin- 
ciple of  social  reconstruction ;  namely,  that  we  are 
not  competitors  but  brothers,  and  that  it  is  our  high- 
est privilege  to  serve  God  by  serving  one  another. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
THE  THEOLOGIAN. 

"I  AM  one  of  those  among  whom  St.  Augustine 
classed  himself,  who  advanced  gradually  by  writ- 
ing and  teaching;  not  of  those  who  at  a  single 
bound  spring  to  perfection  out  of  nothing." 

In  these  words  Luther  himself  characterizes  the 
development  of  his  theology.  He  was  pre-eminentlv 
a  theologian,  but  not  a  builder  of  systems.  His 
theology  is  not  the  outgrowth  of  a  speculative  mind, 
nor  is  it  the  result  of  a  plan,  thought  out  minutely 
and  worked  out  symmetrically ;  it  is  the  answer  to 
the  vital  qu'^stions  of  a  soul  crushed  by  the  con- 
sciousness of  sin  and  anxious  for  salvation,  an 
answer  drawn  from  the  Scriptures  and  verified  by 
personal  experience.  It  can  not  be  separated  from 
the  Bible,  nor  can  it  be  understood  when  cut  loose 
from  the  outward  events  and  the  inner  experiences 
of  Luther's  life. 

In  the  course  of  his  long  life  he  expressed  his 
views  on  a  great  variety  of  theological  subjects,  but 
he  never  wrote  a  comprehensive  "Systematic 
Theology,"  as  Melanchthon  did  in  his  "Loci  Com- 
munes," or  Calvin  in  his  "Institutions."  Not  all  of 
his  opinions  are  of  equal  value.  Not  everything 
that  he  said  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  everything 
else  that  he  at  some  other  time,  under  changed  con- 
ditions, said. 

239 


240  lyUTHiiR:   The;   Le;adi5r. 

Lutheran  theologians  of  later  times  cast  his 
views  into  a  hard-and-fast  system.  They  succeeded. 
But  they  killed  the  spirit  and  the  life ;  nothing  but 
the  dead  letter  remained  and  the  wrangle  over  the 
import  of  the  letter. 

We  can  not  quite  free  Luther  from  all  guilt  in 
this  matter.  Many  strong  minds  see  a  truth  in  a 
light  so  bright  and  clear,  that  they  are  inclined  to 
believe  their  own  way  of  looking  at  it  is  the  only 
way  possible.  And  the  more  important  the  truth  is 
to  their  own  minds,  the  more  jealous  they  are  in 
guarding  it  against  all  deteriorations  or  admixtures 
or  derivations.  Again,  strong  characters  who  be- 
came strong  by  struggles,  who  had  to  fight  their  way 
inch  by  inch,  are  very  apt  to  consider  as  an  enemy 
every  one  who  does  not  share  their  views  to  the  last 
iota.  They  are  independent.  They  paid  dearly  for 
their  independence,  but  they  are  slow  to  grant  in- 
dependence to  others.  They  are  in  danger,  while 
waging  war  against  the  intolerant  dogmatism  of 
others,  of  becoming  intolerant  dogmatists  them- 
selves. 

Luther  shared  this  weakness  of  human  nature 
with  other  good  and  great  men  who  preceded  and 
followed  him.  The  element  of  intellectualism,  neces- 
sarily present  in  every  formulated  theology,  became 
preponderant,  especially  with  his  advancing  years. 
His  own  interpretation  of  Scripture  was  identified 
with  absolute  truth.  Certain  doctrines,  which  by 
their  very  nature  can  never  be  verified  experiment- 
ally, were  held  up  as  tests  of  orthodoxy.  The  way 
was  opened  for  a  frozen,  barren,  heartless,  soulless 
period  of  Church  history ;  viz.,  the  reign  of  Lutheran 
orthodoxy. 


BuiivDiNG  Up  thi;  New.  241 

We  can  not  help  regretting  this  most  unfortu- 
nate development,  but  it  must  not  dim  our  vision 
of  the  truly  great  and  lasting  work  which  Luther 
the  theologian  accomplished. 

In  glancing  at  these  vital  points  we  may  refer  to 
what  the  histories  of  Christian  Doctrine  call  the 
material  and  the  formal  principles  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, the  first  being  the  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith,  the  other  the  authority  of  the  Bible. 

In  other  words,  Luther  placed  as  the  foundation- 
stone  of  all  theology  the  work  of  salvation  as 
wrought  by  Christ  and  as  appropriated  by  faith. 
His  theology,  is  experimental,  soteriological,  and 
Christo-centric.  It  gives  an  answer  to  the  riddle  of 
the  individual  life,  and  this  answer  is  Christ  the 
Savior.  "There  is  but  one  article  and  rule  in  all 
theology.  This  rule  is  true  faith  and  trust  in  Christ. 
Into  this  article  all  the  rest  coalesce,  and  without  it 
the  others  do  not  exist.  ...  In  my  heart  there 
dominates  but  this  one  article ;  viz.,  faith  in  my 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  sole  beginning,  mid- 
dle, and  end  of  all  my  spiritual  and  divine  thoughts 
that  I  have  day  or  night." 

Why  is  this  central  position  accorded  to  Christ? 
Because  in  Him,  and  in  Him  alone,  man's  spiritual 
needs  are  satisfied.  Maiij  sin,  Christ's  vicarious 
atonement,  and  the  efficacy  of  faith  in  obtaining  all 
the  benefits  of  the 'atonement,  are  the  three  great  )< 
truths  that  give  form  and  shape  to  the  whole  super- 
structure of  Luther's  theolog}-. 

He  had  a  deep  and  keen  sense  of  sin.     Alan  is 
sinful  and  fallen,  not  only  on  account  of  his  own 
transgressions,  but  he  is   the  corrupt  tree  sprung 
16 


( 


242  Luther:   The;   L,e;ader. 

forth  from  a  corrupt  seed,  and  without  the  Holy 
Spirit  he  "can  do  nothing  but  sin  and  proceed  from 
sin  to  sin."  On  this  point  Luther  crossed  swords 
with  Erasmus  of  Rotterdam,  the  head  of  the  Hu- 
manists. In  this  point  the  radical  difference  be- 
tween the  Renaissance  and  the  Reformation  takes 
its  inception. 

The  corollary  of  Luther's  doctrine  of  sin  is  his 
teaching-  of  saving  grace  through  the  vicarious 
atonement.  Christ,  the  sinless  Son  of  God,  died 
in  the  place  of  man.  He  was  made  a  curse  for  man, 
bore  man's  punishment  and  guilt ;  his  righteousness 
is  imputed  to  the  believer.  By  faith  alone  man  is 
justified.  This  justifying  faith  brings  the  believer 
into  a  mystical  union  with  Christ.  "By  faith  you 
become  bound  and  united  with  Christ,  so  that  out 
of  Him  and  you  there  arises,  as  it  were,  one  person. 
You  can  evermore  hang  on  Christ,  and  say  with  joy 
and  comfort,  'I  am  Christ,  not  personally ;  but 
Christ's  righteousness,  victory,  life,  and  everything 
which  He  has,  is  my  own ;'  so  that  Christ  can  say,  'I 
am  this  poor  sinner ;  that  is,  all  his  sins  and  his  death 
are  My  sin  and  My  death,  since  he  hangs  on  Me  by 
faith.'  Therefore  St.  Paul  says,  'We  are  members 
of  His  body,  of  His  flesh,  and  His  bones,' " 

The  two  necessary  consequences  of  justifying 
faith  are  assurance  of  salvation  and  a  consistent 
'  Christian  life.  Luther's  teaching  of  evangelical  sal- 
\  vation  by  faith  alone  without  works  was  then,  as  it 
always  has  been,  misunderstood  and  made  an  occa- 
sion of  attacks  from  his  enemies  as  well  as  an  ex- 
cuse for  license  on  the  part  of  insincere  or  fanatical 
adherents.     This  was  the  more  so  since  Luther  re- 


Building  Up  the  New.  243 

pudiated  strongly  any  obligation  of  the  Christian  to 
the  law.  The  believer  is  "a.  new  creature,  a  new  tree. 
Therefore  all  those  modes  of  speech  which  are  cus- 
tomary in  law,  as  'a  believer  should,  or  is  bound  to 
do  good  work,'  do  not  belong  here.  As  it  is  not 
proper  to  say,  'the  sun  should  shine,  but  it  does  this 
of  itself,  unbidden,'  so  a  good  tree  of  itself  brings 
forth  good  fruits.  Three  and  seven  are  ten;  they 
are  not  first  bound  to  be  ten.  To  say  of  the  sun  that 
it  ought  to  shine,  of  a  believer  that  he  must  do  good 
works,  is  ridiculous." 

The  source  of  Luther's  theology  is  the  Bible. 
As  high  as  he  placed  the  Word  of  God,  he  did  not 
adhere  to  any  theory  of  verbal  or  plenary  inspira- 
tion. The  Bible  was  to  him  the  Word  of  God  be- 
cause it  contained  the  message  of  Christ.  "Herein 
agree  all  the  genuine  holy  books,  that  they  all  preach 
Christ.  .  ,  .  That  which  does  not  teach  Christ 
is  not  Apostolic,  though  St.  Peter  or  St.  Paul  teaches 
it.  That  which  preaches  Christ  is  Apostolic,  though 
Judas,  Annas,  Pilate,  or  Herod  teaches  it."  He  was 
indifferent  to  questions  of  authorship,  of  historical 
accuracy  in  the  Biblical  records,  and  to  minor  dif- 
ferences. "What  matter  if  Moses  did  not  write  it?" 
he  said  of  the  Book  of  Genesis.  He  freely  expressed 
his  doubts  as  to  the  canonicity  of  the  Book  of  Reve- 
lation, of  the  Epistle  of  Jude,  Second  Peter,  and 
Hebrews.  Accordingly  he  considered  of  special  im- 
portance the  books  from  which  he  had  learned  the 
great  lessons  of  his  life.  "The  Gospel  of  St.  John 
and  his  First  Epistle,  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul,  es- 
pecially those  to  the  Romans,  Galatians,  and  Ephe- 
sians,  and  the  First  Epistle  of  St.  Peter,  are  the 


^ 


244  Luther:   The;   Leader. 

books  that  instruct  us  concerning  Christ  and  teach 
us  all  that  is  necessary  and  salutary  for  us  to  know, 
even  though  you  should  never  see  or  hear  another 
book.  In  comparison  with  these,  therefore,  the  Epis- 
tle of  St.  James  is  actually  nothing  but  an  epistle  of 
straw,  for  it  has  in  it  nothing  whatever  of  the  Gos- 
pel." 

In  his  views  of  the  sacraments  he  could  not  com- 
pletely divest  himself  of  the  old  Catholic  and  scho- 
lastic views.  While  rejecting  five  of  the  seven  sac- 
raments of  the  Church,  he  attached  to  the  two  which 
he  retained  an  importance  wholly  beyond  what  is 
warranted  by  a  sane  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures. 
/The  elements  of  the  sacraments  were  to  him  actual 
(transmitters  of  Divine  grace;  not  only  visible  signs 
and  tokens  of  God's  condescending  love.  His  doc- 
trine was  not  clear.  It  gave  rise  to  many  quarrels 
and  to  the  later  doctrine  of  baptismal  regeneration 
irrespective  of  any  conditions  to  be  fulfilled  by  the 
human  recipient.  This  doctrine  necessarily  exerted 
a  baneful  influence  over  the  spiritual  life  of  the 
Church. 

Of  great  practical  importance  was  Luther's  doc- 
trine of  the  universal  priesthood  of  believers.  The^ 
two  truths — namely,  salvation  by  faith,  and  priest- 
hood of  the  believer — overthrew  the  foundations  of ^ 
the  Catholic  Church.  They  liberated  the  individual 
conscience  from  the  dominion  of  the  priest ;  they 
raised  good  works  from  the  low  plane,  as  means  of 
earning  God's  favor  in  spite  of  deficient  moral  life, 
to  the  higher  plane  of  natural  fruits  of  a  life  which 
is  in  fellowship  with  the  Master ;  they  erased  the 
line  of  demarcation  between  things  spiritual  and 


BuiivDiNG  Up  thu  Ne;w.  245 

things  temporal,  and  made  life  a  unit,  one  great 
service  to  God  and  mankind. 

IvUther's  theology  has  exerted  a  great  and  last- 
ing influence,  and  is  still  dominating  a  large  portion 
of  evangelical  Christianity.    The  vital  truths  whichN 
can  be  experimentally  verified  will  continue  to  in- 
fluence the  teaching  and  practice  of  all  evangelical  / 
Churches.     Those  remnants  of  mediaeval  scholasti- 
cism which  partially  vitiated  his  theology  will  be 
eliminated  in  accordance  with  the  growing  appre-  ^^ 
ciation  of  the  scientific  value  of  Christian  experi-  ' 
ence.    Thus  Luther's  theology  may  serve  as  a  guide- \ 
post  in  finding  a  way  out  of  the  present-day  diffi-( 
culties.     There  is  no  other  great  religious  leader 
since  the  days  of  Martin  Luther  who  emphasized  the 
vital  points  of  his  theology  as  much,  and  at  the 
same  time  brushed  aside  his  scholastic  opinions  as 
did  John  Wesley,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  that, 
of  late,   German  theologians  are  inclined  to  con- 
sider the  founder  of  Methodism  as  "the  greatest  ^ 
Lutheran  whom  England  ever  produced." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH. 

The  closing  years  of  Luther's  life  are  somewhat 
disappointing.  His  great  work  was  practically 
done  when  he  left  Koburg  Castle  in  the  year  1530. 
The  remaining  sixteen  years  of  his  life  were  filled 
with  a  variety  of  labors,  partially  also  with  contro- 
versies, but  they  really  add  only  little  to  the  work 
of  the  previous  fourteen  years. 

He  had  the  great  joy  of  seeing  the  spread  of  the 
Reformation.  A  number  of  German  States — as,  for 
instance,  Brandenburg,  the  Palatinate,  and  others — 
adopted  the  evangelical  doctrines ;  city  after  city 
followed ;  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne  declared  that 
his  study  of  the  Bible  had  led  him  to  see  the  truth 
of  the  evangelical  doctrines.  Henry  of  Saxony,  the 
successor  of  Luther's  bitter  enemy,  Duke  George, 
and  his  wife  favored  reformatory  movements,  and 
even  invited  Luther  to  preach  in  Leipzig.  The  ma- 
jority of  the  Electors  were  Protestants  and  the  aged 
Reformer  had  reason  to  hope  that  the  next  Emperor 
of  Germany  might  be  a  Protestant.  The  second 
generation  of  evangelicals  was  growing  up.  Those 
who  had  been  trained  from  their  early  childhood  in 
Luther's  Catechism  and  in  his  German  Bible,  who 
heard  his  hymns  sung  since  the  time  of  their  tender 
infancy,  were  now  men  and  women,  ready  to  take 
246 


Building  Up  the  NSw.  247 

up  the  work  and  carry  it  on.  The  obvious  success 
of  the  Reformation  gladdened  the  heart  of  the 
leader,  although  it  increased  his  work,  because 
everywhere  his  advice  was  solicited  in  matters  of 
Church  organization,  worship,  and  creed ;  difficult 
questions  were  referred  to  him ;  he  was  in  a  measure 
"the  evangelical  pope  of  Germany." 

But  there  were  also  a  good  many  signs  of  the 
rapid  approach  of  age.    In  fact,  before  he  reached 
his  fiftieth  year  Luther  was  an  old  man.  His  bodily 
infirmities    increased.      He    suffered    agonies  with    , 
kidney  troubles ;  was  afflicted  with  severe  and  pro-    , 
longed  attacks  of  headache ;  asthma  and  insomnia  . 
sapped  his  strength ;  one  of  his  eyes  grew  weak  and    . 
dim.    Adding  to  these  troubles  the  many  petty  and 
annoying  controversies,   which  proved  a  constant 
strain  on  his  nerves,  we  can  understand  that  he 
became  more  irritable,  at  times  even  passionate. 

He  found  himself  at  variance  with  the  whole 
law  faculty  of  his  own  university,  and  in  con- 
sequence thereof  he  severed  the  bonds  of  friend- 
ship with  his  life-long  friend,  the  lawyer 
Schurf.  There  was  danger  of  an  estrange- 
ment even  from  his  intimate  associate  and 
friend  Melanchthon.  The  latter  became  more 
timid  and  more  pessimistic  as  the  years  advanced. 
His  persistent  efforts  to  find  dogmatic  formulas  ac- 
ceptable to  all  parties  caused  much  dissatisfaction 
among  the  more  radical  Lutherans.  In  compliance 
with  the  orders  of  his  Elector,  he  continued  to  at- 
tend theological  conferences  and  to  take  part  in  the 
discussions,  but  with  his  heart  and  his  love  he  lived 
far  away  in  sunny  ancient  Greece.     He  was  tired 


248  Luthkr:   The;   Leader, 

of  the  "rabies  theologorum,"  the  fury  of  the  theolo- 
gians. "I  sometimes  had  to  endure  almost  unbear- 
able slavery,"  he  complained,  "when  Luther  was 
carried  away  by  his  temper,  because  he  was  of  a 
quarrelsome  disposition,  more  so  than  was  neces- 
sary for  his  dignity  and  the  common  welfare." 

Luther's  old  friends,  who  had  been  his  associates 
in  the  work  and  his  companions  at  the  table,  moved 
away  or  died  one  by  one.    He  felt  lonesome. 

Notwithstanding  the  spread  of  the  Reformation, 
the  real  progress  of  the  cause  of  Christ  was  far 
from  satisfying  him.  He  became  disgusted  with 
the  city  and  the  University  of  Wittenberg,  and  com- 
plained much  of  the  deportment  of  the  students, 
whom  he  considered  too  wild  and  noisy.  Perhaps 
it  did  not  occur  to  him  that  two  thousand  students 
coming  from  all  parts  of  Europe  were  harder  to 
manage,  especially  in  a  little  town,  than  were  two 
hundred  some  thirty  years  before.  Calling  Wit- 
tenberg a  "Sodom,"  he  made  up  his  mind  to  leave 
the  city  and  move  to  some  quiet  place  in  the  coun- 
try. "Away  from  such  a  Sodom !  I  would  sooner 
wander  about  and  beg  my  bread  than  vex  my  last 
days  with  the  irregular  proceedings  at  Wittenberg." 
He  actually  left  the  city,  and  only  after  urgent  en- 
treaties did  he  yield  and  return. 

Insomnia  and  frequently  recurring  attacks  of 
despondency  made  life  a  burden  to  him.  Yet,  in 
spite  of  all,  he  continued  to  do  the  work  of  three 
ordinary  men.  His  irritability  cropped  out  in  his 
controversial  writings,  and  especially  in  the  two  pam- 
phlets which  he  wrote  against  the  Jews ;  viz.,  "Of  the 
Jews  and  Their  Lies,"  and  "Of  Shem  Hamphoras," 


Building  Up  the;  New.  249 

both  of  them  written  in  1542.  He  beheved  all  the 
stories  told  about  their  poisoning  the  wells  and  steal- 
ing children  in  order  to  use  their  blood.  We  find 
him  even  encouraging  acts  of  violence  against  them. 

The  most  fatal  event  of  Luther's  last  years  was 
his  assent  to  the  dual  marriage  of  Landgrave  Philip 
of  Hesse.  In  spite  of  his  energetic  support  of  the 
evangelical  cause,  Philip  led  a  dissolute  life.  His 
married  life  was  unhappy  in  the  extreme.  His  wife, 
whom  he  had  married  when  yet  in  his  teens,  a 
daughter  of  Duke  George  of  Saxony,  was  sickly 
and  given  to  drink.  Having  lived  with  other  women 
for  years,  Philip  was  fully  aware  of  the  inconsist- 
ency of  his  position.  He  confessed  that,  although 
he  fought  for  the  pure  Gospel,  he  would  go  to  hell, 
in  case  a  bullet  should  strike  him.  He  finally  re- 
solved to  marry  the  woman  with  whom  he  was  en- 
amored, without  becoming  divorced  from  his  legal 
wife,  and  asked  the  advice  of  the  Wittenberg 
theologians.  They  tried  to  dissuade  him,  called  his 
attention  to  the  scandal  that  would  follow,  but 
finally,  although  reluctantly,  expressed  their  opin- 
ion that  he  might  be  granted  a  dispensation  to  do 
so  if  his  wife  consented  and  if  the  marriage  were 
kept  an  absolute  secret.  The  marriage  was  per- 
formed in  the  presence  of  Melanchthon.  Very  soon 
it  was  whispered  about,  then  proclaimed  from  the 
housetops,  and  a  storm  of  righteous  indignation  was 
raised  by  the  Catholics. 

No  doubt  Luther  was  mistaken  in  his  decision, 
but  it  can  not  be  said  that  he  consented  to  the  mar- 
riage on  account  of  political  reasons,  fearing  per- 
haps the  desertion  by  the  landgrave  of  the  evangel- 


250  Luthe;r:   The;   Leader. 

ical  party.  Luther's  notions  of  the  matrimonial 
relations  and  of  womanhood  sometimes  fell  short  of 
the  high  ideal  which  he  at  other  times  set  forth. 
We  can  not  extenuate  him  fully,  yet  we  must  not 
forget  that  life  in  all  courts,  secular  as  well  as  spir- 
itual, was  at  that  time  on  an  incredibly  low  plane 
of  morality.  Cardinal  Albrecht  kept  a  regular 
harem.  When  residing  at  Halle  he  had  one  of  his 
female  friends  carried  into  the  castle  hidden  in  a 
relic  chest,  in  order  to  avoid  unpleasant  gossip ;  but 
the  woman  had  to  sneeze  and  was  discovered.  Duke 
Henry  of  Braunschweig,  who  showed  unlimited  in- 
dignation at  the  landgrave's  marriage,  lived  with 
mistresses,  and  at  one  time,  in  order  to  be  unmo- 
lested, pretending  that  his  mistress  was  dead,  had  a 
life-sized  wax  doll  buried  in  state,  had  regular 
masses  read,  and  meanwhile  the  woman  was  living 
in  seclusion  in  one  of  his  castles.  Luther  might  be 
led  to  think  that  a  dual  marriage  was  preferable  to  a 
life  of  scandalous  dissoluteness  and  shame. 

But  notwithstanding  this  unfortunate  error  in 
judgment  and  the  signs  of  becoming  aged  and  de- 
crepit, Luther's  hold  on  God,  his  personal  com- 
munion with  God,  remained  unshaken.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  same  spirit  which  Veit  Diederich,  his 
companion  at  Koburg  Castle,  describes :  "I  can 
not  but  admire  how  singularly  full  of  faith  and 
hope  this  man  is  in  these  bitter  and  serious  times. 
But  he  is  so,  and  is  getting  still  more  so  every  day 
on  account,  no  doubt,  of  his  most  diligent  study  of 
the  Word  of  God.  No  day  passes  without  his  spend- 
ing at  least  three  hours  in  prayer,  and  those  hours 
that  would  be  best  for  study."    Luther  was  always 


Building  Up  the  New.  251 

a  man  of  prayer,  and  never  more  so  than  during  his 
last  few  years. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  instances  of  his 
availing  prayer  is  told  in  connection  with  Melanch- 
thon's  serious  illness  at  Weimar  when  he  was  to 
take  part  in  an  important  conference.  Hastening 
to  the  bedside  of  his  friend  he  found  him  at  the 
brink  of  eternity.  His  speech  and  consciousness 
were  gone,  his  eyes  nearly  set,  the  physicians  had 
given  up  all  hope.  Luther  cried  out,  "O  God,  how 
has  the  devil  injured  this  Thy  instrument!"  Then 
he  went  to  the  window  and  prayed  with  the  fervor  > 
of  conquering  faith.  Then  he  rose,  and,  taking 
Melanchthon  by  the  hand,  said :  "Be  of  good  cheer,  ■ 
Philip,  thou  shalt  not  die." 

"Do  not  detain  me,"  whispered  Melanchthon; 
"for  God's  sake,  do  not  detain  me.  I  am  on  my 
way  to  my  eternal  rest.  Let  me  depart;  nothing 
better  can  befall  me." 

"No,  indeed,"  called  Luther,  "you  must  serve  -^ 
God  a  little  longer,"  and  he  called  for  something  to 
eat,  and  literally  forced  the  sick  man  to  take  nour- 
ishment. When  Melanchthon  gained  sufficient 
strength  to  open  his  eyes,  he  saw  on  the  wall  oppo- 
site his  bed  in  large  letters  the  words  from  the  i  i8th 
Psalm,  "I  shall  not  die  but  live,  and  declare  the  • 
works  of  Jehovah." 

Not  many  years  after  this  incident  the  time  came 
that  Luther  should  be  translated.  On  November 
10,  1545,  he  celebrated  for  the  last  time  the  anni- 
versary of  his  birth  in  the  midst  of  his  family  and 
his  friends.  A  week  later  he  finished  the  exposition 
of  the  Book  of  Genesis  in  his  lecture-room  with      i 


252  Luther:    The   Leader. 

the  following;  words :  "I  can  do  no  more.  I  am 
weak.  God  grant  me  a  blessed  end."  Writing  to  a 
friend,  he  remarked :  "I  am  tired  of  the  world  and 
the  world  is  tired  of  me.  I  am  as  ready  to  depart 
as  a  traveler  is  to  leave  his  lodging-place." 

The  Counts  of  Mansfeld  desired  him  to  act  as 
arbiter  in  some  quarrels  which  they  had  among 
themselves.  Three  times  he  went  on  his  errand  of 
peace,  though  feeble  in  body.  On  the  last  trip,  in 
January,  1546,  he  was  accompanied  by  his  sons.  A 
conference  of  the  dissenting  parties  was  arranged 
for  at  Eisleben.  Luther's  health  was  failing  rap- 
idly. His  wife  and  the  friends  at  home  were  very 
apprehensive,  but,  sick  though  he  was,  he  kept  up 
his  spirits.  He  wrote  a  number  of  letters  full  of 
comfort  and  good  cheer. 

"Only  read,  dear  Kathe,  St.  John  and  the  Small 
Catechism,  of  which  you  once  said  to  me  that  every- 
thing in  the  book  was  said  of  you.  For  you  want  to 
care  for  your  God  precisely  as  though  He  were  not 
Almighty  and  could  not  create  ten  Dr.  Martins  if 
the  old  one  were  to  be  drowned  in  the  Saale,  or 
burned  in  the  oven,  or  be  caught  in  Wolf's  bird- 
trap.  Dismiss  your  cares,  for  I  have  One  who  cares 
for  me  better  than  you  or  angels  can.  .  .  . 
Only  pray,  and  let  God  do  all  the  caring;  for  it  is 
written,  'Casting  all  your  care  upon  Him.' " 

The  arbitration  proceedings  drew  to  an  end. 
Luther  thought  of  returning  home.  But  his  strength 
was  gone.  Often  he  spoke  of  his  near  departure. 
On  February  i6th  he  wrote  in  the  Latin  language 
the  last  words  we  possess  from  his  pen.  They  are 
worth  being  recorded : 


Buii^DiNG  Ur  THI5  N^w.  253 

"No  one  can  understand  Vergil  in  his  'Bucolics,' 
unless  he  has  been  a  shepherd  for  at  least  five  years. 
No  one  can  understand  Vergil  in  his  Georgics,  un- 
less he  has  been  a  tiller  of  the  soil  for  at  least  five 
years.  No  one  can  fully  understand  Cicero  in  his 
Epistles  unless  he  has  moved  about  in  a  large  com- 
monwealth for  twenty-five  years.  No  one  can  fancy 
to  have  thoroughly  mastered  the  Holy  Scriptures 
unless  he  has  for  a  hundred  years  lived  in  the 
Church  together  with  the  prophets  Elijah  and 
Elisha,  with  John  the  Baptist,  with  Christ  and  His 
apostles.  Do  not  tempt  this  divine  ^Eneid,  but  bow 
down  low  and  full  of  adoration.  We  are  beggars. 
This  is  true.    February  i6th,  A.  D.  1546." 

The  next  day  he  was  seized  with  alarming  pain 
in  his  chest.  He  found  no  rest,  neither  in  reclining 
or  walking.  His  friends  assembled,  physicians  were 
summoned,  the  Count  of  Mansfeld  and  his  countess 
hastened  to  minister  to  him. 

Luther  was  heard  to  pray:  "O  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  I  commend  my  poor  soul  to  Thee.  O  Heav- 
enly Father,  I  know  that,  although  I  shall  be  taken 
away  from  this  life,  I  shall  live  forever  with  Thee. 
God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  be- 
gotten Son  that  whosoever  believeth  on  Him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  Father,  into 
Thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit." 

Then  everything  was  quiet.  Pastor  Jonas  bent 
over  the  dying  man  and  called  into  his  ear :  "Rev- 
erend Father,  do  you  die  in  the  faith  of  your  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  in  the  doctrine  which  you  preached 
in  His  name?"     A  clear  and  distinct  "Yes"  was 


254  Luthrr:   The;   Leadeir. 

heard  in  answer.  Then  he  went  to  sleep,  and  was 
no  more,  for  God  had  taken  him. 

In  the  city  of  Eisleben,  where  he  was  born,  he 
died  on  February  i8,  1546. 

The  news  of  Luther's  death  spread  Hke  wildfire. 
A  special  messenger,  carrying  a  full  account  of  the 
last  days  and  the  dying  hours  written  by  Dr.  Jonas, 
was  dispatched  at  once  to  Wittenberg.  Melanch- 
thon  was  in  his  class-room,  lecturing  on  the  Epistle 
to  the  Romans,  when  the  news  arrived.  "O  God," 
he  exclaimed,  "gone  is  the  chariot  of  Israel  and  the 
horsemen  thereof!" 

It  was  a  sad  procession  that  started  from  Eisle- 
ben for  Wittenberg.  In  all  the  cities  and  villages 
through  which  it  passed  the  bells  were  tolling,  and 
the  people  crowded  the  streets,  paying  their  last 
tribute  to  the  great  man  whose  lips  were  now  closed 
forever. 

Late  at  night  the  cortege  reached  Halle.  The 
clergy,  the  City  Council,  men,  women,  and  children, 
met  the  procession  outside  the  city  walls,  and  ac- 
companied it  to  the  church.  Luther's  hymn,  "Aus 
tiefer  Not  Schrei  ich  zu  Dir,"  was  sung,  but  the 
words  could  hardly  be  understood ;  every  one  was 
sobbing.  On  February  22d,  Wittenberg  was 
reached.  While  the  bells  tolled,  the  hearse  which 
carried  the  remains  of  the  eminent  servant  of  God, 
and  the  people,  followed  by  his  widow,  his  four  chil- 
dren, and  an  immense  concourse  of  people,  w^as 
driven  to  the  Schloss-Kirche.  The  casket  was  borne 
through  the  doors  on  which  twenty-nine  years  be- 
fore the  young  monk  had  nailed  his  Theses,  Pastor 
Buggenhagen  preached  a  sermon  which  was  often 


Building  Up  the;  N^w.  255 

interrupted  b}-  his  own  tears  as  well  as  by  the  sob- 
bing of  the  audience.  Melanchthon  followed  with 
a  Latin  address,  and  then  the  casket  was  lowered 
into  the  crypt  near  the  pulpit. 

Martin  Luther  while  living  had  proved  stronger 
than  the  emperor  and  the  pope.  ''By  his  word  and 
his  pen  alone,"  says  Professor  Hausrath,  "he  had 
wrung  Germany  from  the  mighty  emperor  in  whose 
empire  'the  sun  never  set.'  The  professor,  whost, 
salary  was  never  more  than  four  hundred  florins  a 
year,  had  bought  out  the  owner  of  the  whole  treas- 
ure of  all  the  indulgences.  Victor  over  emperor 
and  pope,  he  died." 

Yet  he  was  not  dead.  Frederick  Myconius 
wrote  to  the  Elector  these  prophetic  words :  "This 
Dr.  Martin  Luther  is  not  dead  at  all ;  he  will  not 
die,  he  can  not  die.  Now  he  will  be  alive  more  than 
ever  before." 


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